Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Workaday Wordsmith
Summary: Gold is forced to adjust in a cynical and complex world set 14 years after the events of Pokémon Gold and Silver. He's turned to catching criminals for the police by night and training Pokémon by day. But when the greatest trainers in the world are in danger, Gold faces his most challenging enterprise yet. Rated T for violence and language. Cover by topcat-sama.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

Sprinting through the alleyway, I squint to see through the thick fog. My flashlight illuminates little but the obstacles thrown haphazardly into my path a few feet away. Judging by the sound of her footsteps, the thief is only a dozen or so paces ahead of me. My Espeon's telekinesis clears the scattered garbage and abandoned bicycles long before we reach them. The Pokémon gracefully maneuvers by my side, hopping over puddles and leaping over gaps in the poorly paved street. The fog makes the chase a miserable business, but I know enough about Goldenrod's layout to know the pursuit is reaching its end.

"Just a little longer," I tell Espeon. She acknowledges me with a mew as another trashcan goes flying. Sure enough, I see that we're rapidly approaching a dead end. In the light of a streetlamp, I see a young woman frantically giving orders as her Golem begins to break through the wall. When we get within earshot, she attempts to shout something over the smashing of bricks but I cut her off.

"My name is Ethan, but you may know me as Gold. You are under arrest for the theft of three Pokémon belonging to Whitney Blanche, the local gym leader. Please return your Golem to its ball and approach with your hands up."

As I expected, she allows the Golem to continue smashing away. A fist sized hole in the wall appears. "Gold? I've never battled a previous champion before." Jolene Simmons says with mock innocence. She's attractively dressed in slacks and a modest blouse. Her hair's done up in a bun and her shiny brown eyes compliment her dark skin. I am more than aware, however, of how dangerous this woman is. She smirks at me through the fog.

That's enough for me. "Espeon, Shadow Ball." Suddenly a dark ball of energy flies through the night. Simmons dives out of the way just in time, but her Golem is not so lucky. It crashes against the wall once more as the attack meets its mark, but most of the brick somehow holds. Tonight may be my lucky night after all. With a practiced hand, Simmons immediately returns the KO'd Pokémon to its ball and releases a Crobat. I use the opportunity to gain some ground; Espeon and I now stand just a few yards from the trainer.

Her cool demeanor has quickly evaporated. Her face has quickly changed from a sly smile to a cold, angry looking grimace. "Aerial Ace!" she cries. Espeon easily evades the attack.

"Psychic," I say. The Crobat is flung into the streetlamp with a loud clang, but somehow remains airborne. I glance at Simmons, and her face is twisted into a mask of desperation and rage. She's doing her best to end this battle quickly and skip town as soon as possible. "Hyper Beam!" she screams and the bat begins to glow.

Ah shit. "We better move," I tell Espeon. "If you get a shot, blast the bat."

Just after I finish my sentence, the foggy alleyway bursts with golden light. As time slows to a crawl, I pivot my shoulders to avoid the blast and smell singed cotton. Espeon leaps into the air, bouncing off a wall just before it's reduced to dust. As she sails several feet above my head, I see the jewel on her forehead glow and the bat crumples to the ground.

As Simmons desperately readies another Poké Ball, I say "Hypnosis." The thief's eyes roll up into her head as she slumps onto the cobblestone.

"Good work, Espeon. You really carried the day," I say as I return her to her ball.

Besides scorching my jacket, Crobat's Hyper Beam melted through three dumpsters, destroyed what remained of the cobblestone street, and created a pretty big hole in a (luckily closed) restaurant. I take off my jacket and toss in the least melted dumpster before producing another Poké Ball.

"Go Feraligatr!" With his usual roar, Feraligatr presents himself. Even in the dense fog, I can see his imposing figure and spectacular jaws. "I need you to carry Simmons to the police station for me. Make sure she behaves if she wakes up on the way."

With a knowing nod and a grunt, Feraligatr effortlessly lifts the trainer as I return a crumpled Crobat to its ball and place it on Simmons's belt. _First the police station_ , I tell myself, _then Whitney's to pick up my paycheck._ All in a day's work, I suppose.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

It's past midnight by the time I leave Whitney's apartment and call a cab. She was very complimentary and appreciative. And, surprisingly, the police even agreed to buy me a new jacket. I guess I should turn in criminals during the graveyard shift more often.

"Hey!" the cabdriver says so loudly and suddenly I jump. "Aren't you that Gold kid who was champion awhile back?"

"Yep," I say as I compose myself. "Pokemon League champion, 2001."

"Say, you were pretty good." I struggle not to cough as I catch some of his cigarette smoke. "Why don't you do another tournament sometime?"

"Haven't really been into the game lately," I say with a shrug. "Changing a little too fast for me."

He grunts. That was an honest enough answer, at least. The world has become much different since my day in the sun.

After I had won the tournament, things were great for a while. I conquered Kanto within a month, defeating trainers much more imposing than the fledgling Johto battlers. Afterwards, I filled my Pokédex up with the Pokémon of Johto and Kanto in weeks before travelling to other regions.

But then battling became much more complicated. Don't get me wrong, complexity in itself is not a bad thing. At first, I enjoyed nothing more than to study all of the stats, moves, and training regimens present in Pokémon training. But when winning became all about having perfectly bred Pokémon and using a complex chain of technical moves, it became harder and harder for newer trainers to get into the game.

That's when I decided to abandon tournaments and set up roots. After some initial wandering, I found home in Goldenrod City. The high spike in powerful trainers presented an influx of criminals that the police couldn't contain. That's where I come in. A few times a month, when the department is faced with a particularly powerful lawbreaker, they hire me on as a private consultant. Due to vigorous training, my absence from tournaments has not made my Pokémon any weaker. Few criminals can even present a challenge to me. To pay my bills the rest of the time, I work as a private investigator. In a city as corrupt as Goldenrod, work is good. Furthermore, the police's dependence on me allows me to have a good bit of freedom when it comes to how I spend my time and how much I can travel.

When my ringing Pokégear causes me to jump again, I realize that I was beginning to drift off to sleep. I fumble with the buttons for a moment before I finally answer. "Hello?" I say groggily.

"Hey Gold! It's me," I hear a familiar voice say.

"Hey Kris," I say, straightening up a bit. "What's up?"

"I've been calling you for hours!"

"Oh." I check my screen for a second. "This is the first call I've had all night."

"You really do need to upgrade, Gold. You've had that Pokégear for years."

I sigh, but decide to humor her. "I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I just got a paycheck in tonight, so I can afford a few new gadgets now."

"Oh really?" says Kris. "That check must be from Whitney. The theft of her Pokémon has been all the news ever talks about. How did that turn out?"

I quickly fill her in on about the events of the evening. Kris and I have stayed in touch ever since we travelled together in our first adventures. Nowadays she usually sticks to New Bark Town helping Professor Elm with his research, but she visits me as often as she can.

"That's amazing," says Kris when I've finished. "Whitney's a celebrity, and she's more important than anyone in Goldenrod. You should get the key to the city for this."

"Thanks," I say. Kris has always had a tendency to exaggerate.

"So, why don't you go to dinner with Whitney sometime? I'm sure she'd be happy to go out with you if you asked her."

I sigh again. Ever since I had known her, Kris has been determined to marry me off to someone. The older I get, the more persistent she becomes.

"She's really not my type, I'm afraid. She's a little too moody for my taste."

"Come on, Gold! She's not that bad," Kris says. "She's sweet enough to make up for that. She's pretty cute too."

"Yeah, she is cute," I say. "But I don't think I can handle any mood swings right now. Listen, just because you and Faulkner are so happy together…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Kris says. I can almost hear her rolling her eyes. "Just trying to help out."

"Sorry," I say, rubbing my eyes. "I'm just tired from running around all night and frustrated that my jacket got ruined."

"You can make it up to me by being extra nice this evening," Kris says. "I've got a bottle of wine that I think we can get through tonight."

For the first time all night, I smile. "You always know the best times to stop by. I'll see you in about ten minutes."

"Fantastic! See you then, Gold."

I hang up and lean back in my seat. I've received a few raised eyebrows around the apartment complex about Kris's occasional appearances in my room. I admit, it does look suspicious when an attractive young woman enters my apartment with her own key in one hand and a bottle of wine in another. But, despite many rumors to the contrary, Kris and I have been nothing but best friends for pretty much all our lives. We both love wine, too. In all honesty, Kris is a fantastic girl, so I should be flattered when people peg us as a couple. Even if they are wrong.

Yawning, I adjust my hat so it covers my eyes. Before I get home, hopefully I can grab a few winks. It's been a long night and it's about to get even longer.

* * *

"We're here, bud." I awake to the gravelly voice of the cab driver and the smell of his cigarette. I groggily pay his fare and step out of the cab.

My apartment's not too fancy, but it's not bad by Goldenrod's standards. The worst part is all the stairs I have to climb. As I fumble with my keys in front of my room (why do I never get rid of some of these?) my neighbor appears from the staircase behind me.

"How's it going, Ethan?" he asks. No matter what time of night, he always seems to spare a smile for me. His hair's a little thin and his gut's a little paunchy, but there's probably no one I'd rather talk to in my whole apartment complex.

"Can't complain, Dave." I say, returning the smile. I grasp his hand in a firm handshake. "Rough shift?"

"Oh yeah," he grimaces as he pulls out his own set of keys. "But the department's been letting people go and I need the hours if I want to stay working."

I nod grimly. "Seems like everything keeps on going more and more to hell."

He returns the nod just before his door opens from the other side. "Daddy!" A tiny girl in pink pajamas shoots out and wraps her arms around his knees. He chortles before bending down and returning the hug.

"Hey sweetie." He looks much less tired than he did a second ago.

After a moment, she looks up from her father and notices me. "Mr. Hart!" She runs to me and we share a similar hug.

"Evening, Gwenevere."

She shyly covers her face and she shakes lightly with giggles. "I told you, my name's Gwen. Can I see Archie?"

I glance at Dave. "I don't see why not," he shrugs.

"Go, Arcanine!" The shaggy lion-dog bursts from its ball. It's a bit more thoughtful than my other Pokémon. It knows it's late, so it gives an excited whimper rather than its usual booming bark.

"Fetch," I say, and point at the girl already halfway down the hall. Arcanine bounds away with a lightness that always surprises me and gently snatches her in his jaws. After some careful shaking, Arcanine tosses Gwen onto his back and does a lap around the hall. Her squeals probably wake up half of my neighbors, but it's worth it.

"Ok, that's enough Gwen," says Dave when the duo returns. She's dissolved into a puddle of giggles by now. "Thanks Ethan."

"Don't mention it."

"Thank you, Mr. Hart," Gwen manages to say."

"Your welcome, Miss Gwenevere." I take off my hat and give a deep bow as the giggling disappears behind Dave's door.

"Kids and Pokémon are just about the only good things left," I tell Arcanine as I give him a quick scratch behind the ears.

After I return him to his ball, I finally find the right key and my door opens.

"Kris?" I ask. Funny, she must have fallen asleep with the lights out. I don't blame her, I think as I yawn broadly.

I turn on the light and my yawn dies midway through. Lying in my living room is the body of what was my oldest friend. The white carpet is stained with blood from a single gaping wound on her torso. Her mouth hangs open in mild surprise and her glazed eyes stare up at the ceiling. The bottle of wine sits unopened on the coffee table next to a vase of roses.

As bile rises to my throat, I get the terrible feeling that tonight's the night everything changes.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

3 Months Later

Ampharos unleashes a barrage of Thunderbolts, but each attack misses its mark by a long shot. Gengar sneers maliciously as it darts back and forth through the walls of the Goldenrod Tunnel. I stand nearby, leaning against the wall farthest from the battle. Despite the flurry of attacks, I'm confident that the Pokémon won't hit me. Good training partners are hard to come by these days, unless I want to put up with Whitney's flirting or busy schedule. Each morning I pit my Pokémon against each other instead and they're still as sharp as ever. And, thanks to the tunnel's durability, location, and general lack of visitors, it's an ideal training ground.

"Ampharos, mind your aim," I say, crossing my arms. "I know Gengar's faster than you, but you know better than to plant yourself in one spot like that. Gengar, stop playing around and throw some Shadow Balls already." I may sound a little harsh, but I believe Pokémon should receive either praise or criticism whenever they deserve it.

Immediately I see the Pokémon change their battle style. Ampharos's attacks become less frequent and more controlled as it begins to dash around a bit. While Gengar still phases in and out of the bricks, he enters only to unleash attacks and exits only to avoid Ampharos.

I can't help but grin as battle reaches critical mass. As Gengar quickly rotates in a circle around the room, Ampharos miraculously dodges three Shadow Balls at once. She unleashes a devastating Thunder, but a grinning Gengar makes it through the wall just in time to avoid it. Ampharos continues to run along the edge of the wall, assuming that Gengar will resume its path. Suddenly Gengar phases through the wall on the other side of the room. Before Ampharos realizes that he shifted his pattern, she's hit by a final Shadow Ball and she goes down.

"That's enough!" I hurry to check on Ampharos. She's still conscious, but in no condition to fight. "Good work, Ampharos. Just be sure not to take anything for granted when you battle. Never make assumptions based on something you can't see or hear. If you can't sense your opponent, assume that they're everywhere and nowhere at once." I squirt her with a Max Potion and she gives a halfhearted baa as I return her to her ball.

I turn to Gengar. "Good work to you too. You took a little too long to change your pattern, through." His eyes flash as the red light of Gengar's ball returns him home.

As the light dissipates, the room is filled with the sound of clapping. I turn to see none other than Ruby applauding my battle.

"Not bad," he says stoically. "I see that retirement hasn't softened you up."

"Ruby," I respond, standing nose to nose with the trainer. "I'm not retired. I'm just seeking new opportunities in a different field."

We stare at each other for a moment before simultaneously cracking smiles. "You could always could talk yourself out of anything, whenever you decided to speak up. I knew I would find you here. It's good to see you, buddy!" he laughs as he slaps me on the back.

"You too, man," I say. "It's been awhile."

Ruby and I have been friends ever since we met during my journey in Hoenn. I can't condone all his actions, but his outgoing personality and my more reserved demeanor seem to complement each other well. Even more so, our friendship's held up so long because he never changes. He still wears the same red and black jacket and silly hat. He even still participates in tournaments with the same Pokémon as 17 years ago.

"So what've you been up to, buddy?" he asks, producing a flask from his jacket. It's not even noon yet, but it's never too early for Ruby.

"Not much," I say. "It's pretty much been business as usual since the funeral."

His smile quickly fades into a look of concern and the flask freezes halfway to his lips. Way to ruin the moment, Gold. "Yeah. How're you holding up? Still no answers?"

I shake my head. When I discovered Kris that night, the first thing I did was empty my guts in my bathroom. The second thing I did was call the police. But neither of us could glean much more from the scene than the obvious. None of the cameras in the hallway picked up anyone until I entered. Furthermore, the murderer clearly did not resort to teleportation. Anytime a trainer teleports, it's picked up by sensors that reach for miles and recorded in a database. No one teleported in or out of Goldenrod anytime near the time of death. Therefore, the authorities and I agree that the culprit probably flew through the window and escaped the same way. There was no sign of a struggle. There were no witnesses, no fingerprints, no shoeprints. Clean, clean, clean.

By the time the cops had cleared out and the scene was cleaned up, it was almost noon. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't forget that my late best friend's body had been just a few yards away from the bed just hours before. So I decided to get a little help. Kris's bottle of wine had been stored in evidence, but I replaced it with three bottles of whiskey. I don't remember how many times I filled my toilet with sick, but at least I went to sleep a few hours later.

Anyways, I discovered early in the investigation why Kris's Pokémon failed to come to her aid. A couple of years ago, an extremely powerful Tyrantrum left its trainer's Poké Ball of its own accord. It wreaked havoc, killing everyone on the Magnet Train where it was released. Authorities discovered that this Tyrantrum belonged to a boy that had received the Pokémon in an ill-advised trade only hours before the incident. The event exploded in the media and quickly became a national tragedy. To make matters worse, similar events began to crop up all over the world.

Mere weeks later, PokéSecure was rolled out with much fanfare. The device is an easy-to-use hand-held scanner that prevents a Pokémon from exiting a Poké Ball without the trainer actually saying its name. Law now requires Poké Balls containing traded Pokémon to be immediately scanned with PokéSecure until an official can approve that a trainer has total control over it. Manufacturers quickly jumped on board and have made millions from PokéSecure sales.

No accidents of the like of the Magnet Train Incident have been reported since the distribution of PokéSecure. However, it gives criminals a powerful new weapon. A few simple adjustments to the device can extend its range hundredfold. One shot from a modified PokéSecure renders a trainer's Pokémon helpless to protect her. That's exactly what happened to Kris. Even worse, the abundance of the device makes it completely untraceable. Technicians are working on security measures for new PokéSecure models, but the damage is already done.

The oddest part of the whole Kris situation is that I have been in relatively no danger since the incident occurred. The cops were understandably concerned for my safety, so they insisted on stationing a black and white outside of my apartment. After weeks of looking over my shoulder, the officer was reassigned and I have remained as safe as ever. But why would anyone want to kill Kris?

Ruby gives me a sympathetic grunt. "Don't worry, Gold. Some clue will turn up," he reassures me. But I doubt it. "So, what's with this assistant business?" he asks, taking a sip from his flask.

Ever since Kris's death, I've felt less energetic. Even worse, I've had trouble concentrating on my cases and recalling specific details. At first I didn't really take time to think about it, but these problems have been getting to the point that they're affecting my work. Hiring an assistant would hopefully offset these problems. In fact, I'm headed straight to the office for interviews after I'm done here.

After I explain the situation to Ruby, I'm not surprised when he laughs. "Hate to say it, but it sounds like you're getting old, buddy," he says, slapping be on the back again. "But hey, the best cure for that is a cute assistant, am I right?"

I shrug noncommittally. "So, how's the whole tournament scene?" I ask.

"I can tell you're changing the subject," says a grinning Ruby, "but given your advanced age, I'll let it slide. I can't complain. Doing better than some, but worse than others. Unless I start over with a new team, and I'll never do that, I'll never be able to beat those chain breeding assholes."

He takes a big gulp from his flask before spitting on the floor of the tunnel. I back up a bit. Sadly enough, he's right. Ruby never really places that high in tournaments anymore, but that makes me respect him even more.

"They pretty much just keep me on because of old geezers like you," Ruby says. "You guys need t-shirts and sports drinks too."

I can't help but laugh, despite the tragically honest stupidity of Ruby's joke. "So, how about some training?" I ask, readying a ball. "Think you can dodge Feraligatr's Ice Beam this time?" Last time, Ruby got a bit too into the battle and caught a bit of Feraligatr's attack. He has the hospital bill and missing pinky toe to prove it.

Ruby shakes his head and his flask disappears into his jacket again. "Sorry Gold, not right now. Got a lunch date with DJ Mary in like five minutes. But I can do it this evening after your interviews, if it's not past your bedtime."

"You're on, man," I say as I shake his hand. "Good luck with Mary. She's a handful."

"That's how I like 'em, buddy," says Ruby. He flashes me one last grin as he turns and saunters out.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

I lean back in my chair, rubbing my eyes before I turn to look out at the city. My office is simple, but the view is what makes it worth the steep rent. As I insisted when searching for an office, it faces south. On a clear day, I can see all of Goldenrod City, the daycare, and even Ilex Forest.

I begin to see spots, so I swivel to look at the papers on my desk. When I started putting the word out that I'm looking for an assistant, I was surprised by the dozens of applications I received. After weeding out the weak resumes and a marathon of phone interviews, I've finally narrowed the applicants down to just a few.

Not surprisingly, the interviews have gone well. First, there's Nate. Although he's a good trainer and a lack of energy certainly won't be a problem, he seemed a little too enthusiastic about this potentially dangerous job. I don't think he's quite prepared for it. And then there's Alexa. I may not have heard much about her before, but she's resourceful, grounded, and used to this type of work. But I should keep an open mind. After all, I have one interview left and she may be the most promising candidate.

 _I've looked at these resumes long enough_ , I tell myself, pushing away from the desk. With nothing better to do, I check my mirror. As always, a lock of my black hair hangs out from under my hat. _Is that a gray hair?_ I ask myself, leaning in closer to the mirror. Sure enough, my very first gray hair dangles in front of my forehead with the others.

I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry, so I shift my attention to my clothes. As usual, I'm wearing a white dress shirt and black suit pants with matching shoes (my new jacket is hanging carelessly on a hook in the corner). I straighten my solid gold tie and adjust my hat. The hat's my favorite part of the ensemble. It's a just a simple black fedora with a gold hat band, but I always feel more confident when I'm wearing it. I miss my old hat from my childhood sometimes, but this hat is a bit more practical as a professional.

As I adjust my sleeves, I hear a knock at the door as it slowly opens. "Hello? Mr. Hart?" asks a soft voice.

I turn from the mirror to see my final applicant. "Afternoon, Dawn. It's nice to finally meet you. Please call me Ethan."

"Thank you, Ethan," she says, smiling nervously. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well.

"Please, have a seat." I sit at my desk and Dawn carefully sits in the chair in front of me. She's dressed well, in a striking but professional black short-sleeved shirt and a modest pink skirt. A thin pink scarf is wrapped around her neck and she's wearing simple, round pink earrings and white hairclips. I note that she doesn't wear a hat. As she crosses her legs, I see that she's wearing sensible pink high heels.

"You must be tired," I say. "It's a long journey from Sinnoh."

"Oh, only a bit." Dawn says with a small smile. "As soon as I got your message about being a finalist for the position, I took the first boat to Johto and arrived with plenty of time."

"I appreciate that you took the trip," I say, looking down to check my notes. "I see that you have extensive experience as an assistant from your work with Professor Rowan."

"Yes," says Dawn, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs. "I enjoyed fourteen years of working with Professor Rowan. I took notes and recorded data in my Pokédex, and even caught a few Pokémon for him to study. I spent much of my time preforming a wide variety of everyday tasks for the professor, especially in his later years."

I'm well aware of Rowan's recent death, but it would be unprofessional to mention it now. "That sounds a lot like work that you would be doing as my assistant, but there would be little catching or studying of Pokémon. For this job, you would assist me in capturing and studying criminals instead. Would you be comfortable with that?"

"I believe so," she says, adjusting her skirt. "To be complexly honest, Ethan, being a professor's assistant is an extremely competitive field nowadays. I just left an interview with Professor Elm, and from what I've seen, every applicant except me is more qualified. In this job market, chances are slim that I could continue in that field. Anyways, Professor Rowan was a great man, but I don't know if I want to spend my life running errands for aging professors anymore."

 _What about aging private investigators?_ I think to myself. "This job can be dangerous, and it isn't always pretty. I need to know if you can handle that."

Dawn nods confidently. "I can."

"Excellent," I say. "Why are you interested in this position? You don't seem the type to be a weekend warrior."

Dawn is silent for a moment. "I don't want my life to stagnate. It seems like I've seen and done everything there is to see and do in Sinnoh. I need to do something new, something important. And it seems like you're making a difference here."

She looks me directly in the eye and the words hang in the air for several seconds. That's the best answer to that question I've heard all day.

I smile. "Congratulations," I say. "You've got the job."

She abruptly jumps out of her seat, composes herself, and then calmly shakes my hand.

"Thank you, Ethan! When can I start?"

"Tomorrow," I say, still smiling. "I'll call you in the morning and we can get started on some more tame cases."

She beams. "Sounds wonderful!"

"Great," I say, opening the door for her. "I'll see you then, Dawn."

After she leaves, I grab my jacket. Now that the interviews are over, I can make Ruby rethink his outdated team and regret his missing toe again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

From my bench, I can see a kid playing with a Spearow in the distance and smell baking bread. Pallet's always nice this time of year. I wave at Leaf as she passes by. She smiles and waves back. I blink, and suddenly everything is aflame. Red's house is on fire, Oak's lab, everything. Even the people. Blue and Leaf run haphazardly down the street, flailing their arms. I hear screams in the distance and see people everywhere lit up like little candles. Somehow I'm the only thing in the town that isn't on fire. I try to sit up, scream, anything, but I'm firmly rooted to my bench, watching passively. The helplessness I feel is more painful than any burn I could ever receive.

Now I'm at the peak of Mt. Silver, standing across from Red as I did an eternity ago. He's on fire, but it isn't burning. He just looks at me, and I get the feeling that he wants to tell me something. He opens his mouth and I burst into flames. I see his mouth moving, but I can't hear him over my screams. I topple backwards off the peak and I welcome oblivion as I fall down, down, down into darkness…

I wake up thrashing it my bed. The sheets are twisted practically in knots and are soggy with sweat. My ears are ringing uncomfortably and my throat is hoarse. I think I was screaming. When the ringing in my ears begins to die down, it's replaced with the ringing of my Pokégear from the bedside table. I snatch it and hurry to answer before I miss the call. "Hello?" I say.

"Hart," Chief Blackstone says, "This one's big. Are you alone?"

I step out of bed and stretch, feeling like I've been hit by a truck. "Yes, chief," I say. "What's going on?"

"I can't give any details right now," He sounds even more agitated than usual. "Just get to the middle of Ilex forest as fast as you can, right by the shrine. The forest will be blocked off. If the guys there give you any trouble, report them to me. Don't tell anyone where you're going. Is that clear?"

"Got it," I say, picking out a shirt and socks for the day. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

I hear Blackstone barking at someone he's with, but I can't make out what he's saying. "That's fine, Hart. Gotta go." He hangs up.

* * *

God, I love flying. Even when Dragonite is flying at this brisk but sensible speed, I have to wear silly-looking goggles and hold onto my hat. As we reach the forest, I motion for Dawn to land and guide Dragonite into a sharp dive. My gut flies into my throat as the ground speeds toward us, but Dragonite halts abruptly before we crash. I have to hold out my arms to avoid crashing into his head. Dragonite allows me to jump off and I store my goggles in a messenger bag hanging over his shoulder.

"Nice landing, Ethan." I see Dawn's Pigeot spiraling down into a more elegant landing. "Have any whiplash?" She smiles playfully, taking her hair out of a ponytail and shaking her head.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable," I say, returning the smile and calling Dragonite to his ball. "This is your first day. The chief just told me to hurry."

"Uh huh," she says with mock skepticism, returning Pigeot as well.

"Let's go." I lead Dawn into the building leading to the forest and, sure enough, two police cadets are stationed there.

"Halt," the emaciated one on the right orders. "This forest is closed to all but the Goldenrod and Azalea police departments."

"Easy, boys," I say. "I'm Ethan Hart, consultant for the GPD, and this is my assistant Dawn." She waves meekly from behind my shoulder.

"I'll need to see some ID," the thin one says. I really do need to ask Blackwood for a badge.

As I search for an excuse, the doughier one on the left's eyes widen. He points a shaking finger at me and asks "You're Gold, aren't you?"

Thank God. "I am."

"Excuse Pearce here, he just hasn't had his coffee this morning." He grins broadly and claps Pearce on the shoulder. Pearce's frown deepens. "Go on ahead."

"Thanks Bradley," I say, catching a glimpse of his nametag.

Dawn and I pass and she says a quiet thank you to the officers, which are answered by a respective smile and grunt. Just before the door closes, I hear Bradley saying "Did you hear that? Gold knows my name!"

Now we're walking through a thick grove of pine trees. Only dim light shines through the tall canopy, and the air is thick and strong-smelling.

"So, why do you go by Gold?" Dawn suddenly breaks the silence. She walks beside me with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Oh, that's just something that a lot of us with Pokédexes did when we were kids," I say, fishing out my flashlight out of my coat and turning it on. "We all had to have nicknames. Guess it started with Red. He was the best, so we all wanted to be like him. Still is, really." For some reason, I get a mental image of Red staring at me, engulfed in flames. Wonder where I've seen something like that before. I shake it off. "Then I became Champion, and the name stuck."

"Ah," says Dawn, nodding thoughtfully. "Seems like that tradition kind of died out by the time I got my Pokémon."

She examines the trees for a moment before turning back to me. "So, isn't this forest supposed to be protected by Celebi?"

"It is," I say, moving a small branch out of Dawn's path. "Have you been here before?"

"I haven't," Dawn says. "I just read about it in _Wilds of Johto_ a few years back _._ It said that you can find Butterfree, Noctowl, and Pineco here."

I raise my eyebrows. "You remember that from a book you read a few years ago?"

"Yep," Dawn says, running her hand through leaves as she passes a low-hanging tree. "I remember everything I read or write. I would've said something in the interview, but the only questions you asked were about my philosophy on life." She flashes me a grin.

I can't help but smile back. "Must've been helpful in your work with Professor Rowan," I say.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to use my talents and time just for research that may influence some paper a student writes," Dawn says. "I want to spend my life to helping others, trying new things, going on adventures. What do you want out of life, Ethan?"

 _What do I want out of life?_ I think. _How about a steady job_? _How about some kids? How about a normal life?_ "I don't know," I say.

We walk in silence for a while.

Dawn abruptly points at my flashlight. "Anyways, do you have any other neat detective tools like that?"

"Besides a pen and a pocketknife, I'm afraid not." I say, laughing.

"That's a bit disappointing," Dawn says with a smile.

"What do you expect? I'm a detective, not a super spy."

As we pass into a clearing, our laughter abruptly dies in our throats. Nate stares up at us from the grass, eyes blank, mouth hanging open in surprise, and with his limbs splayed out at odd angles. One of his legs is tangled in the chain of an abandoned bicycle. He's being closely inspected by a detective and a forensic officer. A camera flashes, illuminating Chief Blackstone standing a little ways away.

Just a few inches from Nate's hand lies a perfect bouquet of red roses.

* * *

"Sorry to call you here with so little information," the chief says uncaringly. His stubbly gaunt face squints at me grimly through the light of my flashlight. "We just wanted some answers before we alerted the press."

"No, I understand completely," I say, waving a hand dismissively. "This is a sensitive case. The victim's a celebrity after all." I look at the corpse and the flowers lying a few feet away. _God, I just saw Nate yesterday_ , I think. _He was just a kid. What am I getting myself into?_

"Aye, sensitive it is," Blackstone says, scratching his chin. "Hart, this case isn't your usual hit-and-run or burglary gone wrong. This is clean, thought out. It's just like with Kris." He jerks his head toward the roses. "That's why you're here, Hart."

Blackstone seems to notice Dawn for the first time as she puts on her glasses and pulls a notebook from her purse. "Who's this, your girlfriend?" Even in the dim light, I see the chief's face turning red. "I damn well told you not to tell anyone about this!"

"Take it easy, chief," I say, holding my hands out reassuringly. "This is my new assistant, Dawn Hikari. Dawn, this is Chief Blackstone."

She cautiously holds out a hand and he shakes it briefly. "Nice to meet you," she says.

He cools down just as fast as he heated up. "All right. Let's get to work."

We walk together to Nate's body, Dawn to my left and Blackstone to my right. I bend down to get a closer look. I note again that his leg's tangled in the chain, and notice that it appears that his whole body went limp at once as he died.

"Ghost Pokémon," I say, more to myself than anyone. Right on cue, I hear Dawn scribbling in her notebook beside me. "Maybe Psychic."

"That's what we thought," Blackstone grunts. "What else?"

Wordlessly, I lean even closer. I begin carefully lifting Nate's limbs and examining the features of Nate's face. As usual, Blackstone doesn't protest. Dawn continues to scribble away.

"Clear out, Tyler!" Blackstone suddenly barks. "Hart's here to work." A scared looking photographer quickly back up from the body.

"Footprints?" I ask. The clearing is covered with flattened grass from a dozen officers.

"No," says Blackstone. "Besides the kid's bike marks and the footprints from the Bug Catcher that found him, there were no footprints.

I shine my light up at the trees. "Must've attacked from above."

"Aye," says Blackstone. "But nothing big enough to carry a person has passed through those branches. We think the Ghost Pokémon phased through and caught the kid unawares."

I nod. "PokéSecure?"

"Aye," Blackstone says again, motioning to Nate's belt of Poke balls. "Checked them already."

I take one last look at Nate's corpse. The more I think about it, the creepier it seems. Riding through the forest, all alone. Seeing a shadow soar out of the leaves, coming toward me, getting bigger and bigger. Not even being able to scream before the life is stolen from my body, and I fall down into darkness…

I turn to Dawn. She's still scribbling away, but her pen is visibly shaking and she's as white as a sheet. "Can we have a minute?" I ask. Blackstone throws up his hands and swears under his breath, but he backs away from the two of us.

"Hey. Hey, Dawn," I say gently. She looks up from her notebook, her glasses slipping to the tip of her nose.

"Yes?" Her voice cracks just a bit.

"This is what I do. When something like this happens," I motion to the body, "it's my job to figure out who did it and catch them. It's messy, but it's about making sure criminals pay."

She nods a little shakily.

"Listen," I say, putting a hand sympathetically on Dawn's shoulder. "I didn't mean for this to happen the first day. I wanted to start you on a theft case, maybe a kidnapping in a couple weeks. But this is the hand we've been dealt, and I need you. Can I count on you?"

She looks me in the eye. She's still a bit pale, but she's steady. "Yes, Ethan." Her voice sounds determined.

I motion for Blackstone. "Ready?" he asks gruffly.

"We are," I say. "Just reviewing some details about the case."

Blackstone looks skeptical.

"So," I say, eager to change the subject, "it may interest you to know that I saw Nate only yesterday. He applied for my assistant position."

Dawn glances at me over her notebook and the chief raises his eyebrows. "Really?" he says. "You tell anyone that was going to be in town?"

"I didn't," I say slowly, "but he may have. You may want to check his phone records."

Blackstone grunts and nods. He looks happier than I've seen him all morning.

"Let's move on," I say. We spend some time with the bicycle, but find nothing of use there. Finally, I examine the flowers, which are what I'm really curious about.

The roses have abnormally triangular petals and are each about the size of a teacup. They are a distinctive blood red color. _The thorns are considerably sharp as well_ , I think as I poke one with my pen. "They look the same as Kris's," I say.

"They do," says the chief. "We can't figure out what they are, though."

"Excuse me," Dawn says. "I know what they are."

The chief's face lights up like a firecracker. "Then what are they, girl?"

"They're Pallet Roses," she says confidently. "They bloom every year around Christmas. Dad used to get them for my mom."

I swell with pride. This assistant thing may work better than I thought. "Hart, I want you to follow up this lead. You don't have to worry about any other assignments until you get this guy. I'll make sure you're paid." Technically, the chief can't give me orders, especially out of his jurisdiction, but I would've investigated this anyway. "Good work, Hart. Dawn." He gives her a tiny nod as he walks away and begins to bark at the officers again.

"You hear that?" I ask Dawn. "Good work."

"All in a day's work," she says, smiling proudly. "What now?"

"We travel to Pallet, what else?" I say, leading her back out of the clearing. "But warn your friends. Powerful trainers are being targeted by a serial killer, and any one of us could be next."


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

"So, this is Pallet?" Dawn asks. Despite the overcast skies, Pallet is crammed with tourists. Bratty children and noisy adults cluster around every corner, shuffling in and out of Oak's lab like ants and forming a staggering line outside Red's house.

"Follow me," I say, forging a path through a pack of schoolchildren. "Let's wait awhile until the tourists clear out before talking to all the florists in the town. I have something I need to do first, anyway."

* * *

Despite the hustle and bustle of Pallet, the graveyard is surprisingly empty. Except for three or four scattered mourners, Dawn and I are alone. I wordlessly lead her through all kinds of tombstones before stopping at an unassuming one in the corner of the graveyard. It reads: HERE LIES PROFESSOR SAMUEL OAK. FATHER, GRANDFATHER, MENTOR, FRIEND. 1919-2010.

"Gold? Gold, is that you?" I turn to see none other than Daisy Oak emerging from the tombstones. As always, she is well dressed and seems prepared for any situation. She carries an umbrella under one arm and a bouquet of Pallet Roses with the other.

"Hey Daisy," I say. "Long time, no see." We hug briefly and I introduce her to Dawn.

"Are you here for the anniversary of Grandpa's death?" Daisy asks as she lays the flowers on the foot of the grave.

"That, among other things," I say. Funny, I had forgotten that was today. Small world. "How're you and Lance?"

"Oh, we're fine. He's been a huge help around the boutique."

Back in the day, Daisy was among the most eligible bachelorettes in Kanto. The rumor was that she and Red were childhood sweethearts. Whether that's true or not, right after he dropped off the radar, Daisy and Lance started dating. Now the two are living together in Celadon where Daisy runs a beauty salon. I find it odd that one of the greatest champions of all time is helping his girlfriend groom Pokémon, but he seemed happy the last time I talked to him. It's more than I can say for myself, at least.

"Do you miss him?" I ask, inclining my head towards the grave.

She thoughtfully runs a hand through her hair. "Sometimes," she says. "I'm fine most of the time, but some days it still hits me. Do you?"

"Same," I say. I don't really know Daisy that well, so I'm not really willing to talk about it.

We stand for a while in silence before Daisy says her goodbyes and leaves.

"She seems nice," Dawn says.

I nod, but I'm not really listening. My mind wanders, thinking back to the day that I began to mourn the death of my most important mentor…

* * *

"Hey," Kris says. Her eyes are red and puffy and her makeup's run all over her face. She looks awful. She wavers a bit where she stands like she doesn't know what to do with herself.

"Hey Kris," I say, patting the seat next to me.

Kris shakily sits and leans her head on my shoulder. I'm miserable, but I force myself not to tear up. If Kris sees me cry, she'll be in hysterics.

I've just arrived at the Oak's house after the funeral for a little get together for Pokédex holders. My twentieth birthday is a strange day for a funeral, especially because it's just over two weeks after Oak's death. The decision to delay the funeral was made so everyone would have time to travel to Pallet, but it doesn't make the situation any less strange. It's doubly weird that such a sorrowful day could be so sunny, not to mention hot and uncomfortable. Life must go on, I suppose. Unfortunately, the Oak's tiny abode is crammed with people and a multitude of chairs. I feel like I'm in a coffin myself.

Leaf told me that she thought it would be a good idea for the Dex holders to be together after the funeral, to mourn together as people who knew the Professor the way we did. I don't see much mourning though. Just to my left, I see Ruby drunkenly talking to one of the newer kids. I think his name's Hilbert. "You ever seen a Tailow with its head cut off?" he slurs. "It beats Pokémon Contests, I can tell you that." I hear Kris let out a muffled sob. I scowl at Ruby, but he just smiles dopily and waves.

I try to block Ruby out, so I turn to look over my right shoulder. Sitting a few rows behind us is a girl I haven't met before. Kris told me earlier that her name's Dawn. She's crying silently, her tears streaking down her face. She holds a crumpled handkerchief in her lap. I don't think she sees me, but I feel bad that nobody's with her. I can't leave Kris, though. I feel better when Leaf sits next to Dawn and puts an arm around her.

Just behind them, a group of Dex holders are talking amicably. I hear one of them laugh.

I hear muffled arguing, so I turn back around and look to right. I heard that Red and Blue are rivals, but I never expected anything like this. Blue is right in Red's face, talking at a breakneck pace and waving his arms animatedly. I can't make out what he's saying, though. Red just stands with his arm folded, frowning, never breaking eye contact with Blue.

I blink, and suddenly Blue's on the floor. Red's struck a mighty stance, so he must've really let him have it. The talky trainers have fallen silent. Now the only sound I hear is Kris's quiet sobbing. Red immediately begins striding towards the door. Leaf tries to gently grab his arm as he passes, but he roughly jerks his arm out of her grip and walks out. Ruby steps forward, maybe to help Blue to his feet, but crashes into the chairs in front of him and falls to the ground, quaking with drunken laughter.

Disgusted, I help Kris to her feet. "I think that's our cue." I see Dawn watching us as I put my arm around a sniffling Kris and we walk out.

* * *

"Did you know him?" Dawn asks, interrupting my reverie.

"I did," I say quietly. "Besides my mom, he was my biggest supporter. It takes quite a man to care about Pokémon the way he did. It takes even more of one to care about trainers the way he did." A lump forms in my throat in spite of myself. "The day he died was when everything started to go to shit. First breeding got out of control, then tournaments became impossible, and now everyone else is dying too."

Dawn lets my words sit for a moment before speaking. "I only met Oak twice. But there was something special about him. He was the warmest, most inspiring man I've ever met. Just seeing his enthusiasm for Pokémon and their trainers made me want to go out and have some adventures. Do what I could to make the world a better place. I know he did."

I look at Dawn, tears streaming down my face. We're standing close enough that I can feel the warmth of her body in the cool air. She's looking at the grave, her cheeks flushed, her eyes watery. As she wraps her arm in mine, rain begins to fall.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

As I enter the café, I quickly shut the door behind me to keep out the rain. I'm soaked. I wish I would have brought an umbrella. The café is pleasantly cozy. It has a much more traditional and homey feel than the hip and avant garde coffee shops of Goldenrod. A friend of Dawn's had recommended it and it completely measures up. As I order a coffee from the cute barista, I see Dawn waving at me from a booth. I wave back, grabbing my coffee before joining her.

"Hey Ethan," she says, smiling above her cup of tea. I'm glad to see that she won't be weird after our little excursion visiting Oak's grave. "Any luck?"

I shake my head.

"Me neither," says Dawn, her smile dissolving into a frown.

I'm really not surprised. After splitting up to check every street vendor and greenhouse, Dawn and I had come up with a whole lot of nothing. It was too much to hope that any of the florists had noticed any odd customers. Furthermore, shipments of the flower have been going all over the country for weeks. In short, it will be impossible to trace the Pallet Roses involved in this case.

"Dead end," I say, burning myself with my first sip of coffee.

"I'm afraid so," Dawn says as she checks her Pokétch. "The good news is, Leaf and Blue have invited us to dinner tonight. I've been getting in touch with all the Dex holders I know, and it'd be a good idea to talk to them."

Maybe this trip wasn't such a waste after all. Blue and Leaf are among the most influential trainers in the world, so their reputations and connections would be invaluable in getting the Pokédex holders to safety.

"Good work, Dawn," I say. "But be careful."

"Why?" she says, frowning. "It's just dinner. Leaf's an old friend."

"Dawn, this serial killer is trying to send us a message," I say, putting down my coffee and leaning closer to Dawn. "And it's either some crazy guy looking to make waves or someone with some kind of vendetta. Probably both. He's putting on a show for us, Dawn. These flowers mean something to the killer. Regardless, we should be more careful here than anywhere else. Don't trust anyone."

Dawn nods, but I can see her hands shaking a bit as she drinks her tea. I must sound paranoid as hell. Talk like that would scare anybody.

"So, how're you liking Kanto so far?" I ask, changing the subject.

"It's nice," Dawn says, shakily playing with her tea bag. She's avoiding my eyes. "The tea's not as good as Johto's and the weather's awful, but it's interesting to see where it all began."

Kanto's pretty much where modern battling was born. As soon as Red jumped to the top, trainers ran themselves ragged trying to keep up. "That's cool and all, but you haven't tried the cake yet," I say.

"Yeah?" says Dawn, nervously checking her nails.

"They have it with their breakfast," I say. "I must've gained fourteen pounds the last time I was here, and that was as an eleven-year old."

That got her attention. "Really?" she asks skeptically.

I finally take a successful drink of my coffee. "Oh yeah. And Feraligatr gained fifty."

Dawn laughs, spilling the rest of her tea. "No way!"

"I have the pictures to prove it," I say, grinning.

"I'll have to see those sometime," Dawn says, doing her best to mop up her mess. She checks her watch again. "Now hurry and finish your coffee. The Oaks are expecting us."

* * *

Since the last time I've been to the Oaks' house, Blue and Leaf have made a lot of expansions. There have been so many rooms added that it looks like an entirely different house. It still manages to look elegant, in a clustered kind of way.

As I raise my arm to ring the doorbell, Dawn grabs my arm. "Wait," she says. "I think we'd have more success splitting Blue and Leaf up before warning them about the murderer. If one of them shuts us down in front of the other, we won't get any help at all."

I'm impressed. "Good thinking, Dawn," I say. "Do this kind of thing often?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," Dawn says, folding her arms and smiling.

After I ring the doorbell, Leaf answers.

"Good evening, Dawn, Gold! Welcome to our humble abode." she stands majestically in the doorway, wearing an elegant blue dress and sweeping her arm to welcome us in. As we enter, she gives Dawn a kiss on both cheeks and hugs me just a little too long for my liking.

A grinning Blue appears in the hallway shortly after we enter and leans casually against the wall.

"It's been awhile, Gold." I walk to him and shake his hand.

"Yeah, too long," I say. I don't think we've talked since our last battle. Unlike his elaborately dressed wife, Blue looks about the same as I've always known him. He's wearing a simple black jacket and a tan pair of pants. It's refreshing to see that something in Pallet never changes, at least.

Leaf grandly continues to escort us through her house and we end up in the dining room. People in Johto are used to eating later in the evening at about 9 or 10 so I'm not that hungry. That doesn't mean that the food wasn't delicious, though. Dawn and Leaf made idle chit-chat the whole time so Blue and I mostly stayed quiet and enjoyed our meal.

When the ladies were finally finished eating, Blue spoke up. "Well, I guess it's my night to do the dishes, hon. I'll join you guys in a second."

Dawn and I share a look. Now's my chance. "I'll help you out, Blue," I say. "It'll make me feel at home." That's a lie, of course. I always put off doing the dishes as long as possible. Leaf protests, but I can tell that Blue really would like some help.

"So here we are," I say once we're in the kitchen. I'm washing, he's drying. "Two guys spending a quality evening doing dishes."

Blue laughs. "You're just getting a glimpse at married life, mate. But that Dawn, she's someone I wouldn't mind washing dishes for, eh?"

He nudges me as I wipe some sauce from a plate. I guess I haven't thought about it before. I'm in no state to be in a relationship like that right now. Work first. I'll have to worry about Dawn later.

I force a laugh. "So, how's the gym? Seem to be balancing your job and your marriage pretty well."

Blue glances at me with a grin. God, does he ever stop grinning? "Yeah, I can't complain. To tell you the truth, mate, the job's been really cushy. I get maybe two, three challengers a week. Most of it's PR, really."

That sounds about right. That's what I hate about gym leaders now. The most powerful trainers have been around forever, just getting stronger and stronger. Now kids are lucky even to beat their first gym in their mid teens.

"Sounds pretty nice," I say, getting a little carried away with the steel wool. "How's training?"

He shrugs. "Don't really have to anymore. Pretty much just let the 'Mon out to get some exercise every once and awhile. Of course, they're useful for other things, too." Blue's smile somehow gets even bigger as we hear the ladies laughing in the other room."

I let out some more water. The water's so hot I can feel the room get warmer. "I'll bet. How much are you getting paid, anyway?" _Come on, Gold, be polite_. I think to myself. _You won't get any help talking like that._ Despite my best efforts to calm down, I feel my heart racing and my face heating up.

His grin flickers just a little. "I don't think I like your tone, mate. I'll just say I'm doing well. I think it's my turn to ask a question." His voice is still irritatingly cheerful, but I can see that his knuckles are as white as the plate he's drying. "Why are you here?" He looks me right in the eye. He may be smiling, but those eyes are dead serious.

I turn off the sink. "I'm here to warn you that we're being murdered," I say, keeping eye contact. "All of the best trainers in the world."

I quickly tell him about Kris and Nate's murders. We've abandoned washing dishes by the time I've finished. Blue silently stands for a moment, arms folded, expression unreadable.

"You're meaning to tell me that we're in danger?" Blue says, shaking his head. "The killer just sounds like some nutcase to me. And he's in Johto. There's no way he could get to us, a couple of the world's greatest trainers in one house. You're paranoid, Gold." He laughs.

"I can't believe how naïve you are," I say, shaking my head.

He laughs again, cruelly. I can feel my face turning red. "You know, you sound just like Red," Blue says. "You seen him lately?"

 _Keep it together, Gold._ "I haven't seen him since the funeral, same as you, Blue. But that's beside the point."

"Is it?" Blue asks. He looks uncannily like Gengar. "Because we both know who's the only one crazy enough to off Dex holders."

My muscles tense. Without thinking, I say "So, what were you and Red talking about at the funeral?"

That wipes the smile off his face. "That's none of your damn business."

I stand toe to toe with him. His face has quickly contorted into a mask of anger. I'm struggling to maintain my composure. "I'm tired of your bullshit, Blue. I want answers."

His mouth twitches a bit. "I want some answers myself. What was it like to find that whore of yours cut up in your apartment?"

I immediately clench my fist so hard it hurts and swing it across his face. I didn't break his jaw, but I think I got a few teeth. God, a fight would feel so good right now. A battle would feel even better.

Blue sits up, gingerly touching his jaw. "Get out," he says. Looks like I'm getting neither. Coward.

As I turn to walk out of the kitchen, I see a stunned Dawn and Leaf in the doorway. "Ethan, what-"

I cut Dawn off, grabbing her arm and beginning to march her out of the house. "You heard the man. Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

When Dawn and I are a good distance away from the Oak's mansion, Dawn yanks her arm out of my grip. "What the hell was that?" she asks, folding her arms.

I set my jaw. "He deserved it."

She rolls her eyes. "I don't care what he deserved." She's stern, but she's keeping her temper in check. "We were here on business. You should've held your tongue."

God, she sounds like my mom. "Yeah, you're right," I say, but I don't really mean it. "So, did you make any progress on Leaf?"

Dawn lets her guard down a bit. "Yeah, I think so. She seemed to be pretty shaken up by the whole thing even before we got here. She told me that Blue believes us, deep down. But unless Blue makes her change her mind, I think she'll get the word out."

I let out a sigh of relief.

Dawn looks at me with a hint of a smile. "Are things with you always going to be this exciting?"

"I'm afraid so," I say, laughing as we walk into the night.

* * *

"So, what do you think of Dawn?" Kris asks.

"What do you mean?" I say, giving her a playful smile. We're sitting on a under a tree on a hill near New Bark Town, just as we used to when we were children.

She laughs, punching me on the arm harder than I was expecting. "You know what I mean, Gold. What do you think?

I begin to speak, but she cuts me off. "And don't say you're not ready for a relationship yet."

I lay back and think for a moment, enjoying the feel of the sun on my face. "But I'm not. I don't know what else to say."

Kris sighs. I've never thought of her as more than a friend, but I have to admit, she looks really pretty today. "Ethan Eco Hart. It's been almost seven years since that New Year's Eve. That was a long time ago. Don't you think it's time to move on?"

"Maybe," I say. "What if there's nothing to move on to?"

"It's not like you to be such a coward," Kris says. She looks at me disapprovingly. "I think that's just an excuse, Gold. You're not getting any younger you know."

Excuses, whatever. Dawn's my colleague, and I have no idea what thinks of me. Kris does has a point, though. "I'll think about it," I say truthfully. "Could we just hang out for a while without any of this? It feels like it's been forever."

Kris smiles. "Sounds good to me."

All of a sudden, I hear Kris screaming. My eyes snap open as I realize I must have dozed off. Kris lies next to me with a gaping wound in her chest. She gurgles sickeningly as I hold her in my arms.

"It's going to be okay Kris," I lie. "It's okay, it's okay…" She lies still.

I set her under the tree, tears warm on my face. Then I blink them away and look for the killer from my vantage point on the hill. Somehow the field has been covered with Pallet Roses. I scan the miles of flowers until they reach New Bark Town. A lone figure is standing at the entrance to the city, watching.

I sprint down the hill and into the roses. I'm really flying now, running faster than I ever have in my life. I'm feet away from the stranger as my feet give out from under me. Somehow the roses have twisted around my ankles and I feel dozens of thorns piercing my skin. I scream as the flowers begin to slowly drag me deeper into the field. As I desperately try to wrench myself free, the roses are grabbing my limbs, my torso. I panic, pleading to the shadow for help. I see Red blankly watching just before the flowers engulf my head and the whole world turns red.

* * *

"Ethan, are you all right?" Dawn's face is full of concern. "You don't look so good."

I feel beyond terrible, and no amount of coffee is going to fix that. My night was not too restful, to say the least. "I'm fine," I lie.

Dawn and I have returned to the café for breakfast. Unlike yesterday, the sun shines through the windows and the restaurant is stuffed with patrons. It's still pleasantly quiet, but I can't enjoy it over the bass drum in my head.

"Okay," Dawn says, but she doesn't look convinced. "So, what's our next plan of action?"

In my mind's eye, I see Red's blank expression again and can almost feel the prick of thorns. I repress a shudder. My dream was creepy, but I think it may mean something. "We need to find Red," I say.

"Why?" Dawns asks, a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth.

"If anyone knows what's going on in the world, it's Red," I say, taking a long swig of my coffee. "Plus, I get the feeling that he has some role to play in this. Call it a hunch.

"I was wondering when you were going to say that," Dawn says with a small smile. "To be fair, I don't have any better ideas myself." Her smile is quickly replaced with a serious expression. "You don't think he did it, do you?"

Do I? I'm not sure. "We know nothing about this killer," I say. "It wouldn't be wise to jump to conclusions."

"I agree," Dawn says brightly. "So, what's something that'll make you happy? You kind of had a rough day yesterday."

She's right. I'm surprised she's still finding reasons to smile, considering yesterday's misadventures. I bawled my eyes out at Oak's graveside, said some paranoid shit over coffee, and slugged an international celebrity. A rough day, indeed, and I have no idea what she thinks of me.

Anyway, what would make me happy? Kris's voice echoes in my mind: _Don't you think it's time to move on?_ Come to think of it, I've been happier hanging out with Dawn than I have been in a long time. I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep her around, at least.

"It would make me happy," I say, swallowing a bit of muffin, "to keep digging. Hopefully Red's friends can point us to him."

Dawn nods. "All right, Gold. Sounds good to me!" If she thinks working may not be the best thing for me at the moment, she doesn't let on.

I manage to crack a smile.

* * *

"Please take a seat, Mr. Hart, Miss Hikari. Mr. Cage will join you shortly."

Just like everything else in Brock's waiting room, the receptionist is perfectly clean and nice to look at. Dawn and I sit on the comfortable sofa and look at the miniature waterfall for a moment.

Brock has been the most important name in breeding for years now. Day cares have always been a necessity, but Brock truly transformed breeding into a business. Anywhere in Brock's dozens of daycares, trainers can specify what type of Pokémon they want to be bred, what type of training they receive, and what moves they learn. For the right price, Brock can churn out perfectly trained and bred Pokémon already fit to win tournaments.

It's despicable, really. If trainers don't raise Pokémon themselves, how are they going to know how to care for them properly? Even worse, how will those without the cash to have a Pokémon raised for them keep up?

As I grumpily sink lower and lower into the sofa, I see Brock leading Stephen out of his office. "I think Brock's Day Care and the Devon Corporation will both benefit from this merger," Brock says, shaking Stephen's hand. I can see Brock's muscles bulging even through his suit. Still as in shape as ever.

"I believe so, Brock," Stephen says, smiling coolly. "Thanks for the fossil, by the way." He pats the large Dome Fossil that he's carrying under his arm.

They both seem to notice Dawn and me for the first time. "What's going on, Gold?" Brock says with a hearty laugh. I stand up to shake his hand and can almost feel the muscles in my palm crack.

"Hello, Dawn," Stephen says, bending down to kiss her hand. "It's been too long."

"Er, yes," Dawn says, her face matching the pink of her scarf.

Something about Stephen's greeting makes my stomach tighten. "Well, we might as well get down to business, Brock. See you, Stephen." As quick as I can, I usher Dawn into Brock's office. It's even more beautiful than the waiting room, covered in fossils of all shapes and sizes. I'm pretty sure that's a whole Kabutops skeleton over there.

"So, what can I help you with?" Brock says, closing the door as he walks in behind us. Except for a slightly wider girth, Brock still looks the same as the day I met him.

"Actually, I'd like to talk about Red," I say.

He plops himself down behind his sizable desk. "Ah. Now that's a subject I'm pretty familiar with," Brock says with a smile. Despite how much I hate his life's work, I can't bring myself to dislike Brock. "What do you want to know?"

"Where he is, mostly," Dawn says. Her face isn't pink anymore, but the tips of her ears are still definitely rosy.

"Ah. Now that's the question," Brock says, scratching his chin. "I'd hate to disappoint you two, but I haven't heard from Red in months."

Dawn looks openly disappointed. I am too, but I try not to show it on my face. "What did he say?" I ask. "Any bit of information can help us."

"He pretty much just asked me how I was doing and said some stuff about the old times," Brock said. "He didn't talk about himself any. I tried to send him a letter, but the Pidgeotto just came back with it undelivered. I just have the rumors to go on, same as anyone else."

Rumors about Red are always splashed on the cover of the tabloids and on forums of underground websites. Some think he's working for the government, others think he's rounding up some kind of criminal organization. The stories are really all over the map, so they're about as useful to me as a used potion.

"What do you think happened to him?" Dawn asks. "He used to be so involved with everything going on in the world. Now he's just a wandering hermit."

Brock leans back thoughtfully in his expensive chair and laces his fingers together. "I think people were always a bit of a nuisance to Red. The more complicated the world got, the less Red wanted to be involved in it. Pokémon are his friends now." He looks at his Kabutops skeleton. I think I see Brock looking a little sad, but it might just be my imagination.

After a moment, Brock turns to look at us again with as big a smile as ever. "I'd try Misty. Red was always a little better at keeping her updated, anyway."

As he leads us out, I shake his hand. "Thanks for the help."

He laughs once more. "I'm not sure I did. It's nice to see someone from the old days, at least."

As I turn to walk out, I hear a familiar voice from the corner.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

I spin around and see none other than Silver glaring at me. He's wearing a dark navy suit with red trailing the edges, a black shirt, and a silver tie. He smokes a cigarette that I can smell several feet away.

"I asked you a question, Gold."

"I could ask you the same thing, Silver," I say. He may not abuse his Pokémon anymore, but that doesn't mean I have to like him.

He stands stiffly and puffs on his cigarette. "I am not amused. But I'll humor you."

"Sir, there's no smoking in here," the receptionist says. Silver scowls, but extinguishes the cigarette on a coffee table and flicks it into the trash.

"I am here to arrange for more Pokémon to be bred," Silver says, acting as if he wasn't interrupted. "Brock and I are old business partners and things seem to go a bit more smoothly when I bring my order straight to him."

I stiffen. Silver is notorious in the tournament scene for regularly having unnaturally strong Pokémon bred for him.

"Why don't you use your own Pokémon like everyone else?" I say coldly.

A hint of a smile flashes across Silver's face. "Gold, you never change. My old Pokémon are simply genetically inferior to the ones I order here. I am paying for new ones, so they will be mine after all."

"Genetically inferior?" Dawn says. She's hunched down next to me, fists clenched.

"Oh, who is this?" Silver says, moving to stand uncomfortably close to Dawn. "A new girlfriend?" His eyes look her up and down.

I try to speak, but Silver cuts me off. "I suppose not. Old wounds cut deep, correct?"

My face is hot, but Silver continues. "No matter. She must be an assistant. The stress is finally getting to you, Gold. You would not mind if she assisted me every now and then, would you?" His eyes flash.

"You take that back," Dawn demands. She folds her arms and gives Silver a look that would be cute if it wasn't terrifying.

"No, I will not," Silver says. "A girl like you should not be around has-beens like Gold here."

I try to retort, but Dawn cuts me off. "Battle. Viridian Forest. Half an hour." She spins on her heel and marches out the door.

"Spirited girl you have there," Silver says, straitening his tie. "Tell her I will be there."


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

As I expected, Viridian Forest is deserted. Everyone avoids the forest now except for new trainers from Pallet, and those have been few and far between recently. As I round the first corner, I see a determined Dawn waiting.

"Hey," I say. "Didn't waste any time getting here."

"I couldn't battle him soon enough," Dawn says, stretching.

"I could've challenged him," I say. "He is my rival after all."

She smiles dryly. "Thanks, Gold, but I can take care of myself.

Right on cue, Silver appears behind me. "I don't have all day, girl," he says, lighting a cigarette. "Have you thought out the rules yet?"

Dawn brings herself to her full height, short that it is. "Three Pokémon each. No switching out. No Mega Evolutions. Challenger initiates."

I raise my eyebrows at Dawn, but she ignores me. Sending out a Pokémon first will put her at a disadvantage. It's a sportsmanlike beginning, but not exactly a fair one.

"Just say when," Silver says. He's trying to look bored, but I've battled him enough to know he's completely focused.

"Go, Mismagius!" Dawn cries, enthusiastically letting her Poké Ball fly. I can't help but smile. It usually sounds wrong to hear an adult say the phrase, but it suits Dawn.

Silver doesn't even call out his Pokémon's name as he casually releases a Bisharp. Looks like Dawn will be at a disadvantage. No surprise there.

"Swords Dance," Silver says. With a flourish of its steely arms, Bisharp looks even more intimidating. Silver must be expecting to boost Bisharp's stats enough to sweep Dawn's entire party.

"Mystical Fire!" Dawn cries. Luckily, Mismagius is much faster than Silver's Pokémon. Bisharp dodges, but it still sustains a nasty burn.

Silver's seemingly detached demeanor is dissipated by a flicker of anger, but only for a moment. "Sucker Punch," he says. Looks like he's going for the kill. Bisharp, however, takes an uncertain step towards Mismagius and misses by a long shot. It's obvious that this is Silver's first battle with this Pokémon.

"Mismagius, Mystical Fire!" Dawn says again. Somehow Bisharp manages to avoid the attack, despite being just a couple feet from Mismagius. Dawn's Pokémon may be well trained and loyal to their trainer, but Silver's perfectly bred Pokémon are incredibly difficult to beat.

"Sucker Punch." Bisharp pirouettes in the air and lands a blow straight to Mismagius's face. Brock must train his Pokémon well. In one shot, Dawn's Mismagius goes down.

"Good job, Mismagius. Return," she says. Dawn casts a fierce look directly at Silver. "That was a lucky shot."

Silver's mouth twitches. That's about the closest he ever gets to smiling. "Don't make excuses, girl. Bisharp just scored a hit where it knew it would cause the most damage." Bisharp's frozen in a battle-ready stance.

Dawn looks furious. Passion is healthy in a battle, but I hope Dawn doesn't let it cloud her focus. "Go, Milotic!" An odd choice for the forest, but I have the suspicion that Dawn has few Pokémon better suited to this tricky type matchup.

"Milotic, Hydro Pump!" I have to duck to avoid the powerful torrent of water. As I stand up, it seems that Bisharp had a similar idea, as it remains unharmed. How frustrating.

After a command from Silver, Bisharp lands a glancing Sucker Punch on Milotic. A Hydro Pump from Milotic finally brings the Pokémon down. I sigh in relief, but luckily no one else notices.

Silver, however, looks as stoic as ever. "Let's see how you deal with this one." I stifle a groan as he sends out a Manectric. As far as I can tell, though, Dawn is unfazed.

"Thunderbolt." I saw that coming. Luckily, Milotic predicts Silver's move as well and evades the attack.

"Hydro Pump," Dawn commands, her eyes aflame. Miraculously, the powerful stream lands a hit and Manectric goes down. Looks like Dawn has the upper hand now. I can't help but let a smirk show on my face.

Silver looks serious, even for him, as he sends out Meganium. I've always wondered why he bothered to keep his first Pokémon in his party. Maybe he's sentimental after all. Or maybe it just happens to have perfect genes.

"Frenzy Plant," he says. He must really be desperate. Much to my dismay, the mass of plants is undodgeable. The attack makes short work of Milotic.

"I'm counting on you, Torterra!" Dawn cries. "Looks like you're perfect team's in trouble," she says with a grin. Her confidence is contagious. I'm starting to get a good feeling about this battle, too.

Silver ignores her, but I could almost swear he's sweating.

For the first time, Dawn has a type advantage. To make matters worse for Silver, Meganium is forced to recharge. After two Earthquakes from Dawn permanently damage the forest, however, Meganium is somehow still standing. Dawn is doing exceptionally well.

"Body Slam," Silver says. Did his voice just crack? Regardless, Meganium charges forward and crashes into Torterra with a sickening crunch.

"Earthquake," Dawn says, but Meganium somehow dodges the attack.

She's not yelling anymore. Both trainers seem to be experiencing an eerie calm.

"Body Slam." His voice is barely audible. Despite its best efforts, Torterra is hit once again.

Another Earthquake misses. This battle is coming down to the wire.

The entire forest is silent. I'm holding my breath.

"Meganium, Body Slam!" Silver says, his voice suddenly rising to a shout. The Pokémon hits its mark. For a moment I think Torterra will withstand it, but it goes down. My heart sinks.

"It appears I've won," Silver says. His hands twitch slightly as he lights another cigarette. "Good luck catching a killer." He hastily rounds the corner and is gone.

* * *

It's long past nightfall by the time Dawn and I arrive at a little hill just outside Pallet. Luckily, it's a clear night with a full moon, so we can see much better than I expected. She didn't say much to me before she left the forest, just that there was someplace that she wanted to see. Of course, I had no objections, as long as I could come. I couldn't really read her after the battle, but my instincts tell me that Dawn shouldn't be alone right now.

As she calls the bird back to his ball and lets her hair down, put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey Dawn. You did great out there."

She avoids my eyes, brushing her hair out of her face. "I lost, didn't I?"

"Sure. But it doesn't matter," I say. She looks me in the eye for a moment, then quickly turns away. To my surprise, I see tears running down her face.

"Of course it matters," Dawn says, shrugging away from my touch. She turns her back to me and walks a few paces. "Just because guys like that are stronger than everyone else, they think they can do whatever they want." She's shaking lightly, but her voice is steady. "Guys like that are the reason why life sucks for most people."

Dawn speaks with a bitterness I never expected from her. Something tells me that her battle with Silver was about more than just an insignificant scuffle to Dawn.

"Yeah, life sucks," I say, choosing my words carefully. "But you were close, weren't you? Silver may have looked stone-faced to you, but I know him. He was scared of you, Dawn. You had him shaking in his boots." My voice rises. I'm even starting to believe what I'm saying. "He'll rip into us again the next time he sees us, like he always does. It doesn't matter, though. Your battle proved that the good guys have a chance too."

"Good guys?" Dawn says quietly, her voice devoid of emotion. She's stopped shaking. "There's no such thing as good guys anymore."

"Maybe not," I say, looking down at Pallet as the tiny homes begin to turn off their lights. It must be getting late. "But the important thing is that we try to do the right thing. Stay strong. Stick together. That's all we can do, really."

Dawn stands very still, then slowly turns around, tears falling over her cheeks. I'm reminded of a girl sitting on the row behind me after a funeral ages ago. I may not have known her then, but things are different now. I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around her. She returns the hug, crying softly into my shoulder. I hold her for a long moment as the lights continue to go out in Pallet.

After a while, Dawn releases me. She steps back a bit, her hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes are a little red, but she looks a bit like herself. Especially when she gives me a smile.

"Ready to go back?" I say, returning the smile. "It's a pretty long trip to Cerulean, and we're going to need our rest tonight."

She shakes her head. "No, I want to stay out here for a while." She moves to the edge of the hill and sits down. I stifle a yawn, but I join her.

We take a moment to enjoy the beautiful lights both above and below us.

"I saw a picture of Red, Blue, and Leaf on this hill once," she says. I can see the stars reflected in her eyes. "I think Red's mom must've took it whenever they were seven or eight. They were all so perfect in their little Sunday clothes."

"Look how things have changed," I say. _There you go, being negative again. What's wrong with you?_

"No kidding," Dawn says. If what I said upset her, she doesn't show it. "I used to think having a Pokédex made you some kind of legend. And for a while, it did. We were beating the bad guys, saving the world. What happened?"

I shrug. "We grew up, I guess. Got too old for adventures."

"I suppose so," Dawn says. She plays with some grass by her feet. "The day of the funeral was the day I realized how old we all really were. Even worse, nobody cared about Oak's death. They were treating it like some sort of party. And that business with Red and Blue was horrible. That's when I decided that I never wanted to have anything to do with Dex holders again."

"So how'd you end up working for me?" I ask.

"Besides Leaf, you and Kris were the only ones there that really cared about Oak's death," Dawn says. "I saw how you comforted Kris. That act of kindness was more than enough to get me to apply when I saw your ad." She turns to me for a moment and smiles. My heart skips a beat.

I don't really know what to say. "For the record, I don't think you're a jerk either." _Well done, Gold._

She laughs, rocking forward a bit. "Well, thanks. I'm trying to live my life moment by moment. Like you said, trying to do the right thing."

She gives me another smile and turns to look at the stars. It's weird, as I look at her it's like I'm getting tunnel vision. Maybe I should…

Dawn gasps. "Ethan, what is that?" She points to one of the few lights still on in Pallet.

I squint, trying to see in the distance. It's hard to see but maybe that's smoke…?

Oh God. It's coming from the Oaks' house.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

I call Dragonite out of its ball and leap onto its back. Hastily looking over my shoulder, I see Dawn already prepared for takeoff. I motion for her to follow me and we soar off the hill so fast I can barely hold onto my hat.

Dawn flies alongside me, her Pigeot gracefully gliding on a current of wind. Dawn's an even better flier than I thought.

As we near the mansion, Dragonite pulls into its familiar nosedive. I produce Feraligatr's ball and release it before we even hit the ground. It immediately begins to douse the roaring flames with Hydro Pump and Dawn's Milotic joins it soon after.

As Dawn and I direct the Pokémon to extinguish the fire, the tiny Pallet Fire Department arrives with the tiny police force in tow. The fire department joins us without a word, using their water Pokémon and fire hoses to douse the fire. With all of our combined efforts, the gigantic fire's extinguished in a couple of hours. However, the house is little more than a charred hull of its once beautiful self.

"It's terrible," Dawn says as we survey the ruins. Her eyes are still a bit red, but I can barely tell she's been crying. "There's no way this was an accident."

"Yeah," I say, nodding. "Blue and Leaf are among the most powerful trainers in the world. A fire should be no problem for them under normal circumstances.

"I hope Blue and Leaf weren't home," Dawn says quietly.

 _Not likely_ , I think grimly. One thing's for sure: there's no way anyone could survive a fire like that.

Before I can think of a response for Dawn, a terrified-looking young man hops out of the closest police car and approaches us.

"You must be our heroes," he says "I'm Chief Sparks. Thanks for putting out the fire." He coughs heavily as he shakes our hands.

"Don't mention it," I say, introducing Dawn and myself. "Mind if we take a look around? I'm a private investigator and we know the people who own this house."

He continues to hack into a handkerchief. "No, not at all," he says. I guess protocol's not really a staple in a department this small. Or manners.

I allow Dawn to enter through a ruined wall first as she readies her glasses and notebook. "Oh my God," she says breathlessly.

As I produce my flashlight, I my breath catches as well. The Oaks' grand home is now just three blackened walls and a house full of ruined belongings. Little, if anything, has survived this fire.

"It's not an accident," I say. "The fireplace is empty and the Oaks didn't smoke. I hope they knew not to play with fire Pokémon."

"Gas leak?" Dawn asks.

Sparks appears over my shoulder. "Fire department's still working on it," he says from behind his handkerchief. He looks a little shaky. Guess the department doesn't have cases like this too often.

I turn my gaze to the couch and my heart sinks. What's left of Blue lies nearby. Not much to see here. Even in death, it still looks like Blue is smiling.

My stomach churns, so I move past the couch and into the dining room. Leaf and her Polywrath lie together on the now black tile. Looks like she tried to put up a fight, maybe even extinguish a bit of the fire. Didn't do her much good, though.

"She was so kind," Dawn says. She's looking at the bodies more calmly than I would've expected. She's a bit pale, but looks strong. Maybe she's as angry about this as I am. "Guess she was my best friend. I never really thought about it before."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "She knew," I say, looking Dawn in the eye. I wish I had something better to say.

"Look!" Dawn says suddenly, pointing at the table. Sure enough, a scorched bouquet of Pallet Roses rests in the ruins of a vase. Figures.

As Dawn moves to examine the flowers, I notice an odd footprint on the tile, so I walk towards the trainer and bend down for a closer look. It's pretty large, about the size of a plate. The back of the foot is fairly round. There's three pointed toes, so it looks like the Pokémon has claws on its feet. The toe in the middle is longer than the others. My pulse quickens.

"What do you think, Gold?" Dawn asks, scribbling away in her notebook.

"This is a Charizard footprint," I say slowly, "And there's only one Charizard I know of that's big enough to make a print like this."

She stops scribbling and looks at me. "What Charizard?"

"Red's," I say grimly.

* * *

"Hold on," Sparks says. If he was scared before, he's terrified now. "Are you trying to say that the most powerful trainer in the world killed the Oaks?"

I guess that is what I'm saying. I don't want to believe it, though. "I'm afraid so."

"Why would he do that?" Dawn says, her pencil's frozen in midair, hovering over her notebook.

"You saw Red and Blue at the funeral. There definitely was some sort of conflict there, to say the least."

"But we don't even know what they were fighting about!" Dawn says. She looks shocked, but Sparks is frozen, his mouth hanging open. It would be comical in other circumstances.

"We don't," I concede. "But who else could kill the best trainers in the world? And who else has so many different kinds of Pokémon? And who else has a Charizard this size?" I shake my head. "I want don't believe it. But judging from this crime scene, I'm afraid it's the truth." God, my biggest idol's a murderer. Who would've thought?

Dawn nods slowly. "I guess you're right, Ethan. There's the roses, too." She points at the ruined flowers nearby. "Makes sense for Red to leave red roses from Pallet at the scene of the crime. It all just adds up."

Glad to see she supports me, at least. I look to Sparks. After a few seconds, he unfreezes.

"Those footprints are pretty damning evidence," he says, fidgeting nervously. "Guess I should spread the word. Red's a wanted man, now. The world's gone mad." He shakily stumbles out of the room. Poor kid.

* * *

As Dawn and I exit the house, the sun's beginning to rise. Despite the ugliness of the night's events, the sunrise truly is beautiful.

"So, what now?" Dawn says, yawning.

I smile. "First, sleep. Then we get back to work. Investigate. Find leads."

"The usual?" She says, returning the smile.

I nod. We may have something to go on now, but I get the feeling that things are just going to get harder from here on out. After all, we're trying to capture the greatest trainer of all time.

What could possibly go wrong?


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask Dawn. After all, her best friend has just died. We're eating breakfast in the café again.

She nods. "I'm fine. But I don't think it's really sunk in yet."

She looks grim as she takes a sip of tea. "Anyways, what's the next course of action?"

"Keep trying to find Red, I suppose," I say. Our search is much more urgent now. "We should talk to some locals on the off chance that they saw something last night."

"Okay," Dawn says. "Do you know Red's mother?"

What an odd question. "Vaguely. Why?"

"Somebody needs to tell her about Red before it's all over the news," she says seriously. "Somebody she knows."

Ah. I see what she's getting at. "Do you think I should tell her? It'll be hard on her."

She nods slowly. "Yeah. I'll take care of the investigating. You just tell her the truth."

* * *

I've only been to Red's house once long ago, but it still looks the same as I remember. Same quaint kitchen, fuzzy rug, and wooden floors. After all, Red's mom has turned it into a museum. Luckily, it's too early for tourists to show up.

Red's mom is nowhere to be seen, so I assume she's upstairs. I really don't want to do this, so I allow my mind to wander.

From Red's tournament records, the police have confirmed that Red's Charizard is the only known Charizard of that size. Furthermore, they think that Red and Blue's fight after the funeral, whatever the cause, is grounds for motive, especially because nobody has heard from Red since then.

Who else could have murdered such powerful trainers? Clair and Lance are the only two trainers I know of with a Charizard powerful enough to do the job. I don't know if Clair even knew the Oaks, so it's not likely that she's the killer. Lance may not have gotten along with Blue, but Blue is his girlfriend's sister and Leaf is his girlfriend's oldest childhood friend. There's a connection there, so checking up on him wouldn't hurt.

Regardless, their Charizard aren't nearly as powerful or large as Red's. I know breeding can work wonders, but it would be nearly impossible for even the most accomplished breeder to breed a Pokémon of that size. Additionally, Red's always been firmly opposed to lending his Pokémon out for breeding.

I suppose that genetic engineering shouldn't be ruled out. However, since the Mewtwo Project ended, all the research has disappeared. Mr. Fuji and Blaine passed away years ago, so I doubt that anyone still has the skills to reconstruct Red's Charizard. It's a stretch, but not impossible.

Red was the best of all of us, so I find it hard to believe that he would become a murderer. Still, he's become increasingly erratic with age. The pieces seem to fit together, but I don't have to like it.

I check my Pokégear. It's already been about ten minutes and I need to start doing some investigating. Might as well just get it over with. Steeling myself, I climb the stairs into Red's room.

Sure enough, Red's moms in the room just dusting away. "Why, hello," she says, immediately stopping her work as she sees me. She smiles. "Is there anything I can help you with, young man?"

I clear my throat. "Yes, I actually came here to talk to you. I knew your son a long time ago. He may have mentioned me. I went by Gold back then."

She looks at me blankly for a second, then her smile widens. "Yes, I remember you! For a while you were all he could talk about, and he never gets that excited about anything."

"I'm flattered," I say, smiling.

"Please, sit down." She pulls the chair out from behind the desk, takes a seat, and pats the bed in front of her.

I check the bed for a moment before I sit. It hasn't been slept in, so I think the woman's innocent at least. I'm not really sure where to begin, but she speaks before I can gather my thoughts.

"Thank you for being so kind to my son," she says, her eyes twinkling. "He's had fans for years, but he's always had trouble making friends. Introverted, you know."

I nod. I can relate.

"But he's a good boy," she continues. "So talented. But not just that. So smart and strong. He reminds me so much of his father."

Her smile flickers for a moment. I don't dare interrupt.

"He still sends me money all the time. Not a lot of letters, but I know he's busy." Her smile returns, but her eyes are just a little sad. Proud, but sad too. "A lot of people don't know this about my Red, but he'll never let you down once you get to know him."

We're silent for a few minutes. She looks lost in thought. She's no longer smiling, but the bittersweet look in her eyes remains.

Any idiot could see how proud she is of her son. The house is exactly the same as it was sixteen years ago when Red left. And why shouldn't she be? Red's the greatest trainer who's ever lived and my biggest idol. At least, he was.

If she's so damn happy, who am I to take it away from her? I may be a coward, but she'll stay happy, at least for a little while.

Suddenly, her smile returns and she turns to look at me again. "What did you come to ask me?"

I stand up. "Nothing," I say. "I just wanted to catch up. Thank you, Mrs. Satoshi."

She gives me a brief hug. "No, thank you, Gold. Say hello to Red for me the next time you see him."

My heart aches. "Of course."

* * *

The morning of Blue and Leaf's funeral is appropriately dreary, with chilly breezes and an overcast sky. So many trainers from around the world flocked to attend the funeral that it had to be held in a sea of chairs in a field just east of Pallet.

Fortunately, we're towards the front so we can see more than just the tops of the speakers' heads. Dawn sits to my right and Ruby to my left. Ruby didn't really know the couple well, so I have to nudge him awake occasionally. I hope Dawn doesn't notice. Ruby's lack of self-control may not be admirable, but at least he's sober.

I'm used to Ruby's unconcerned attitude, but I am worried about Dawn. I glance at her at the corner of my eye. She's stock still, staring blankly at the speaker on the stand (I think he's some kind of priest). Leaf was Dawn's best friend, so she should be feeling something, right?

Myself, I'm doing fine. I didn't really know Leaf that well and Blue and I didn't get along, so I didn't take their death too hard. Their murders just remind me how much danger we really are in. Why is someone wanting to kill Dex holders, let alone Red? We've done so much good in our lives. We've discovered Pokémon, defeated dangerous organizations, and saved the world on several occasions. I may be biased, but it just doesn't add up.

My attention returns to the funeral as I hear a familiar voice: "Friends, you've heard many words today, but none of them can truly express the sorrow that we feel for the death of this great couple."

Brock's unusually grave face looks over the crowd. He may have looked youthful and energetic the last time I saw him, but now he looks much older than he actually is.

"Blue and Leaf were some of the greatest trainers I've ever met," Brock continues. "But they were even greater people. Leaf was a true beauty who cared for everyone around her. Blue was always full of joy, kindness, and spirit." I restrain myself from rolling my eyes, then nudge Ruby awake again.

"They were a fantastic couple, and they were born to live together forever."

A shadow crosses Brock's face.

"It truly is a dangerous world, for all of us. We must treasure each day and, more importantly, treasure and care for each other. Because we never know what day is our last."

Just as suddenly as it came, the shadow passes. Brock looks tired beyond his years once again as he leaves the podium.

"What was that last part all about?" Ruby whispers. We receive some disapproving looks from all around us.

I shrug. But if you ask me, Brock was right about everything.

* * *

The gathering after the funeral is about as awkward as they usually are. Everyone's a little more civil and polite than they were at Oak's reception. That may just be because one of the event's biggest instigators is dead and the other is probably a murderer, though.

As Ruby and I stand awkwardly in a corner, I see Red's mom from across the room. She's alone, which is understandable. Everyone thinks her son killed Blue and Leaf, after all. Soon she glances in my direction and our eyes meet. It might just be my imagination, but I could swear that her eyes flash red.

I think I'm going to be sick with guilt.

Ruby jabs me with a shoulder and time starts running again. "Ouch!" I say, rubbing my chest and demanding an explanation. He points silently to the back of the room and I get a glimpse of blue hair leaving the premises. I nod my thanks and follow the hair to the exit.

Dawn stands outside with her back turned to me, facing the hill we visited just a couple of days ago. I take my place beside her and sneak a peek to see how she's doing. I'm not surprised to see that she's crying pretty hard. It's amazing how hard she can cry without making a sound. Notwithstanding, I put my arm around her.

I probably shouldn't say anything, but I'm going to anyway. "You know, Blue and Leaf are going to be buried under that tree. I think they would've liked that."

She nods and leans her head on my shoulder. My heartbeat quickens, but I do my best to ignore it.

"It was a good funeral," I say. "Brock did a great job."

"You re-remember that part ab-about sticking together?" she manages to choke out.

I nod.

"I think-I think we should," she says.

"That sounds good to me," I say. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," she stutters. She's sounding a little better. "I just can't stop thinking about how much Leaf cared about everyone. Why can't everyone be like that? Why can't I?"

Somehow I have an answer for that one. "Everyone has their own role to play, Dawn. Some of us, like Leaf, are meant to throw parties, make a whole lot of people pretty happy. But others, like you and me, are meant to make just a few people really happy." God, that sounded awful. "Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so," Dawn says. I can't see her face with her head on my shoulder, but I can understand her easily now.

I repress a sigh of relief.

"God, I just want whoever did this to pay," she says suddenly. She doesn't sound angry or sad, she just says it. "Is that how you feel about Kris?"

"All the time," I say truthfully. "Sometimes I want to lash out at something, even if it has nothing to do with the case. Other times, I just want to sit and do nothing."

"At the same time, I owe it to her to find the killer. I'll think about her every time I have a glass of wine, every time I visit New Bark Town. But that's not a bad thing, you know?"

"Yeah," she says, and we're quiet for a while.

"I think I need some time alone," she says. She takes her head off my shoulder and fixes her hair. She's still crying, but she's doing that weird thing where it doesn't affect the rest of her face. "I'll catch up with you tomorrow, OK?" She meets my eyes for the first time all day and my heartbeat stops for a second.

I clear my throat. _Focus, Gold._ "Sounds good. Remember, we're setting sail for Sinnoh tomorrow. Once we get on board, take all the time you need."

"You're sweet," she says. She takes half a step towards me, but seems to think better of it and turns to leave. "Bye, Gold."

"Bye, Dawn." She rounds the bend and is gone.

I'd hate to leave Ruby in the dust, but I think I'll take this opportunity to get out of here. I walk the empty streets of Pallet, running through the events of the past several months in my head. I think of Kris's murder, the beginning of this nightmare, followed by the death of Nate and punctuated by the deaths of Leaf and Blue. And if the events of the last few weeks are any indication, this is only the beginning. I feel a twinge of sadness, anger, and maybe even a bit of fear.

To make things even more confusing, I might be falling for my own assistant, ready or not. Dawn truly is wonderful, everything I value in a world that's falling apart. Innocence, a sense of adventure, kindness, sensitivity, and intelligence. But if we don't find Red, or whoever's behind this, there may not be a world left in the end. Or a Dawn.

At the moment, I realize that I'm not sure which would be worse.

END OF PART 1


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

PART 2: Red Flags and Silver Linings

The path climbs endlessly upward, the peak the impassive and ruthless mountain nowhere to be seen. My breathing is shallow. I've never experienced anything like this elevation before. It's dark, rocky, and certainly cold. My legs are exhausted and I start to see spots, but I press on.

The slope of the mountain suddenly levels off. If I had any breath left, I would sigh in relief. The peak is perfectly flat, just as flat as a kitchen table. The only thing about the landscape that sticks out is that figure walking towards me.

"Welcome, challenger," says the stranger. The words are so quiet and he's so far away that I can barely hear them, but they seem to carry a surprising confidence and strength behind them. As the figure approaches, I can make out his cap and scarlet clothing.

If I was tired before, it's forgotten now. "Thanks," I say, forcing myself to keep my cool. "Who are you, anyway?" As if I don't know.

"Red," he says. He comes to a stop when he's within battling distance. He doesn't look confident or scared, furious or excited. He just stares at me like he's looking through me. "You?"

"I'm Gold," I say, trying to imitate his placid demeanor.

I try to continue, but he cuts me off. "Well, Gold, are you ready?" His body's taut, like a cat that's ready to pounce.

"You bet."

Immediately, we call out our Pokémon and the battle begins.

* * *

"It's so pretty," she says, snapping me back to reality. Even fourteen years later, I can still see the images of that day just as vividly as I see the present.

Dawn and I have just arrived at Sea Cottage. We're standing on the bridge and looking out to the ocean, just like the tourists do. We get the whole experience, sunset and all. I must agree, it truly is stunning.

But this certainly is not a sightseeing trip. As I expected, nobody had seen anything last night before the fire. Yet another dead end. If Misty can't help us, I don't know who can.

Dawn closes her eyes, enjoying the ocean breeze. "I see why Misty would want to live here."

"Misty's had her eye on this place for years," I say. "When Bill finally decided to sell the cottage, he knew that it wouldn't be right for anybody to have it but her."

Dawn opens her eyes and smiles at me. My heart skips a beat. "We have to come back when all this is over. Promise?"

I laugh. "Promise."

Misty immediately hugs Dawn when we knock on the door. "It's so great to see you again!" She says, laughing.

When Misty releases Dawn, she puts her hands on her hips and scowls at me. "I still haven't forgiven you for interrupting my date," she says.

"That was fourteen years ago!" I say, not sure how to react.

She laughs and welcomes us in, but I'm not sure if she's kidding about the date or not. The house is small but quaint and cozy, pretty much the opposite of the Oaks' grand house. She leads us to a pair of comfortable sofas.

"Dawn, I'd like to thank you for participating in the Training Supervision movement in Sinnoh," Misty says, beaming. "I don't know if I could have done it without you.

"Oh it was nothing," Dawn says with a small smile. Misty's become something of a politician. What she's referencing is a movement in Sinnoh to create a law that requires trainers to watch their Pokémon as they battle. Misty's done a lot of good work over the years and has connections to many influential trainers, particularly women.

"Anyways," Misty says, quickly replacing her smile with a serious expression. "I assume you're here about Red. It's all over the news. Just terrible. First Nate, now this."

"We are," I say. "Were you and Nate close?" I ask.

She bobs her head up and down. "We dated off and on," she says. I think she's suppressing tears. "He was so sweet. Always writing me letters, sending me presents…"

As she bursts into sobs, Dawn quickly moves from my side to Misty's couch. Dawn comforts her while I become very interested in straightening the sleeves of my jacket.

In a few moments, Misty's composed herself. Dawn remains on the couch opposite to me, holding Misty's hand.

"Do you think Red did it?" I ask. Dawn scowls at me.

Misty looks pensive. "I don't know," she says. "But I don't think it would hurt to find him."

"Do you know where he is?" Dawn asks.

"I think so." Misty says seriously.

"Where? Can you tell us?" I say, trying to not let my excitement show. This is the first real lead we've had.

"I can do you one better," she says with a sly smile. "Wait just a moment." She exits the room.

When she returns, she's holding a letter. "I got this in the mail about two weeks ago."

Dawn and I share a glance. That's before Nate was murdered. I hold the letter between us so we both can read it:

 _Misty,_

 _Still exploring, but I'll be back to the mainland soon. Look for me at the tournament in Sinnoh during New Years. Stay safe._

 _Red_

It's hastily written, and more of a note than a letter. Still, this is the biggest lead we've had so far.

"What do you think, Misty?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I'm reading the same letter you are. He sends them every now and then, and they don't mean anything more than they say. Still, it's pretty weird for him to tell me to meet him somewhere. Probably hasn't seen a friendly face in ages."

"Guess we're headed to Sinnoh, Dawn," I say, rising from the couch. "Sorry to run, Misty, but we'd better go. We don't have much time if we're going to make it to Sinnoh for the tournament."

Misty hugs dawn, and, to my surprise, she hugs me as well. "Good luck," she says. "I don't know if Red's your guy, but he's as dangerous and unpredictable as they come."

"Don't worry," I say, straightening my tie. "So am I."


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

"So, how about that Dawn?" Ruby asks, breaking the pool balls. "You going to hit that, or what?"

I smile weakly before scratching. "It's a little more complicated than that, Ruby."

This is the first day of our voyage on the S.S. Anne. Thanks to Blue and Leaf's funeral and the upcoming tournament in Sinnoh, the ship is packed with respectable and powerful trainers. This is the ideal spot for a little work and play.

Dawn's unwinding with some of her friends, so Ruby and I decided to hang out for the first time in a long time. Somehow we ended up playing pool, a game that I'm terrible at and Ruby's great at. I look longingly at the poker tables nearby, but I don't want to ruin Ruby's night by taking his money away.

Ruby grins, picking the cue out of the pocket and placing it on the table. "What's complicated, Gold? You like her and she likes you. I've seen the way you two have been acting around each other."

God, he's starting to sound like Kris. "I don't know, man. She works for me. Not to mention we're trying to solve a murder."

I groan as he hits his first ball in. "I'm not buying it. I just don't think you're over that New Year's Eve yet."

I don't say anything for a moment. "So, how're you and DJ Mary doing?"

Ruby laughs, missing his shot. "You should know by now that was a one-time deal."

I miraculously hit my first ball in. "What did you do this time?"

"That's not important," Ruby says as I miss my next one. "What is important is that you're trying to change the subject. You just need to grow a pair and move on."

What an asshole! Still, I don't want to ruin the first time we've hung out in years, so I bite my tongue.

He lines up his next shot. "Now shut up. I'm trying to concentrate."

As he makes shot after shot, I think on what he said. Ruby may not be very sensitive or insightful, but he's probably right. I like Dawn a lot, but I'm more terrified of a relationship than the murderer.

In a matter of minutes, Ruby clears the table. That's to be expected, I suppose.

"I've humiliated you enough," Ruby says triumphantly. "How about some blackjack? I've seen you looking over there all night."

I hesitate. Blackjack would be great, but Ruby's broke enough as it is. Plus, I'm trying to restrain myself from punching Ruby in the face, and his whining over losing would certainly tax my patience. "How about a drink?" I suggest.

"Now you're talking," Ruby says, clapping me on the shoulder. "But first, I gotta take a leak. Meet you at the bar."

I nod before making my way to the bar. It's a nice little place, dimly lit and old-fashioned. It's fairly full, but it's more of the quiet, thoughtful crowd. I take my seat at one of the barstools.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asks. He's cheerful, but not annoyingly so. It's probably been exciting to meet some famous trainers. Plus, gym leaders are notoriously good tippers.

I order a glass of decent wine just before someone sits next to me. I glance to the side, expecting Ruby, but I'm met with a different familiar face instead.

"Hello, Gold," Jasmine says in her soft voice.

I almost choke on a sip of wine for a moment before sputtering out, "Hey Jasmine."

She orders a drink, giving me time to recover from shock. Jasmine's even more beautiful than remember her. She's become more womanly and sophisticated while still retaining her innocent air from her younger years. She also has more of a melancholy quality to her that somehow makes her even more appealing.

But I'm not swayed by her looks and charm. It's been what, five years since we've seen each other? Olivine City's practically across the street, so it's not like she's too far away. Why has she chosen to speak with me after all this time?

"I'm here with Whitney," Jasmine says, seemingly reading my mind. "I just happen to see you and decided to say hello." I match her line of sight and see Whitney at the other end of the bar. She winks and waves.

Blushing, I turn back to Jasmine. "So, uh, what've you been up to?"

She shrugs, taking a sip from her soda. "Still running the gym, taking care of the lighthouse. Nothing really changes in Olivine." _Sounds good to me_ , I think. "What about you, Gold?"

I hesitate. What can I say? Oh, not much, just trying to save the greatest trainers in the world from a homicidal maniac.

"'Bout the same," I say. _Good job, Gold. Quite the conversationalist._ I try to cover with a gulp of wine.

Jasmine doesn't look unnerved by my rudeness. Funny, that's not like her. She was sensitive as hell back in the day. "I heard about Kris. I'm really sorry."

For some reason, that strikes a nerve. "Thanks. So what did you come to tell me?"

"Well, I figured that we've both had a little time apart, grown a little more mature," she says, looking a bit stung. "I was wondering if we could maybe be friends again."

My heart hardens. "Not tonight. Good night, Jasmine."

She gracefully rises from the barstool. "Okay, Gold." She gives me a sad look, but I'm not moved. "If you can… when you're ready, you know where to find me." Then she turns around and ushers and indignant Whitney out of the bar.

I gulp down the rest of my cup of wine as Ruby joins me.

"What did she want?"

"Nothing," I grunt, waving down the bartender. "Make it a bottle."

She's wrong. I haven't changed, minus a few gray hairs and a different career.

Still, I must admit that for a time, things were perfect.

She was a young, shy, pretty woman in a town full of sailors primed to beat the crap out of any potential boyfriends. I was a young man of nineteen without a care in the world. Except boredom. I'd been to three regions. The Pokémon may have been different, but it still felt like the same old song and dance to me. I was tired. My Pokémon were tired. So I decided to return home.

And that's where the short-lived golden time of my life began.

* * *

"Hey Mom, I'm home!" I say, kicking off my shoes and stepping into the house. As I expected, she's cooking in the kitchen. Just like clockwork.

What I wasn't expecting is the angry look she's giving me. "Ethan? What are you doing here, young man? I wasn't expecting you at least until after the tournament."

I roll my eyes, hanging up my bag in the doorway. "I've been to six tournaments, Mom, and those are just the big ones. I decided six was enough. I wanted to surprise you."

She starts furiously chopping vegetables. "I'm surprised, all right. You've worked so hard to train you and your Pokémon. Are you just going to quit now?"

I should've known. She's always pushed me so hard. Maybe little too much. "I'm not going to stop training, Mom. I was hoping for a little rest, but I honestly don't know what to do after that. I'm just tired of travelling all the time and going to stupid tournaments."

She cringes at the phrase "stupid tournaments." "You can't expect any rest here, Gold. If you're giving up Pokémon, at least get yourself good job. Or a good wife. I could use some grandkids." She smiles for the first time since I've been home.

I shake my head. But believe it or not, she may be on to something. "All right, Mom, I'll get on it. Could I at least stay for lunch?"

She looks delighted. "Sure, Gold. Now tell me about your last tournament again."

I sigh.

* * *

If I can feel the winter anywhere in Johto, it's in Olivine. The breeze blowing in from over the ocean is brutally cold. I practically sprint into the lighthouse to avoid the chill.

By the time I reached the top, I'm panting. _Come on, Gold. Be cool._ I tell myself. After a moment my breathing slows down. Gritting my teeth, I knock on the steel door.

I hear rustling inside for a minute, then the door opens. "Gold? What're you doing here?" Jasmine asks breathlessly. I seem to be getting that a lot lately.

She's dressed practically, in jeans and a white t-shirt for her nightly work in the lighthouse. Still, she looks pretty cute.

"I was, um, wondering about that date you promised," I say, stumbling over my words a bit.

She quickly turns and retreats back into the room. "Come in, please."

I enter. It's tidy, but incredibly sparse for a young lady's home. Amphy baas a greeting and I give her an awkward wave.

"Gold, that was a long time ago," she says, avoiding my eyes.

"You're right," I say. It's been eight years, after all. After the whole saving Amphy and earning the badge thing, I asked her to go on a date with me after I defeated the Elite Four and she shyly agreed. We were both eleven at the time, so it probably didn't mean much.

Even after all this time, I'm admire Jasmine more than ever. The older I get, the more I have to deal with talky and cynical adults. Jasmine's still the shy, kind, innocent girl I remember. It's refreshing, not to mention attractive.

"I got a bit distracted after I beat the Elite Four, so I ended up going to Kanto," I say, slowly and deliberately. "But now I'm bored of travelling and tournaments and I want a normal life. Asking you out was the only normal thing I've done since I left home, so I figured this would be a good place to start."

"Um…" she says, her eyes flickering to mine and back to the ground. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, you're obviously working now. How about we meet at the entrance to Ecruteak City tomorrow at 11:30 for lunch?" Anything to avoid those overprotective sailors, the better."

"Sure, Gold," she says, finally meeting my eyes. She smiles shyly. My heart leaps in my chest.

"Great," I say, returning the smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

If only I'd known what trouble I was in for.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

I exit the bar, a bit buzzed but not too hammered. Ruby's still going at it, but I've had enough. It's late, much later than I meant to stay up tonight. I think my conversation with Jasmine justifies a bit of drinking, though.

As I make my way toward my cabin, I see Brock on the lido deck, just looking out toward the moon over the ocean. I pull up a beach chair and join him.

After a while, I decide to break the silence. "Hey Brock."

He seems to notice me for the first time. "Hey Gold. What're you up to?" He cracks a smile.

"Oh, just enjoying the view." It truly is refreshing, despite me being a bit buzzed and sleepy. "You?"

He sighs, looking out over the ocean again. "Just thinking some things through."

I nod. "Yeah, it's been a pretty crazy couple of weeks. How are you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess." He shrugs. "I just hope that people don't forget them. That people care."

He's right, as usual. An entire breed of trainer is being wiped out, a group that has saved and shaped the world. He might be asking too much from the general populace though. Anything that asks someone to remember or change rarely sticks.

"What about Red?" I ask. "Now that's pretty hard to wrap your mind around."

"I just can't believe it," Brock says, shaking his head. "I think he was set up. Red wouldn't do anything like that."

Maybe he's right. But as an investigator, I don't have the luxury to be so naïve. "I really like what you said," I say, blinking spots out of my eyes. "At the funeral, I mean."

He smiles modestly. "Thank you. I meant it."

We sit in silence for awhile longer before I decide it could affect my health if I stood up any later. As I open my mouth for a goodbye, Brock speaks. "Friends are an endangered species. You take care of yourself, okay?" He gives me one of his trademark smiles.

I grasp his hand firmly. "Of course, Brock. You too." Yawning, I head towards bed once again.

When I wake up the next morning, I don't feel too terrible. I feel pretty bad, though. After a drowsily showering and getting dressed, I leave my room at an uncomfortable 7 a.m. I have an appointment at 9, so if I'm going to get some training in, I'm going to have to grit my teeth and stay awake.

As I release Ampharos and Arcanine on the battlefield on the empty lido deck, I hear soft footsteps behind me. I turn to see none other than Dawn waving at me.

"I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so when I heard you leave your room, I went ahead and followed you," Dawn says, her blue hair blowing in the ocean breeze. My mind flashes back to Jasmine, but I shake it off. Thinking about her right now could get dangerous. "Hope you don't mind."

Naturally, Dawn and I are rooming next to each other. It is a bit odd that she followed me, but, since it's her, I can let it slide. Maybe she was lonely. Hell, maybe I was lonely too.

"Don't worry about it," I say, smiling. "How was your evening?"

Dawn frowns slightly, stroking Arcanine's flowing mane. "Not the greatest. Daisy's taken Blue and Leaf's deaths pretty hard."

I produce a treat and feed it to Ampharos. Wouldn't want her getting jealous. "That's understandable. Think she'll be able to give us any answers today?" I'm hoping Daisy can give us some information about Blue and Leaf that could help us with the case.

"I don't know." She sighs. Arcanine's really enjoying the attention. "How was yours? Did Ruby behave himself?"

I laugh. "About as much as usual, I guess."

She stops scratching Arcanine and leans up against Arcanine's fuzzy body. "Why do you hang around that creep? You're much nicer than he is."

I pat Amparos on the head and she baas in protest. She values her space more than Arcanine. "Everybody else grew up and got old and boring, but Ruby's stayed pretty much the same. A little wild and bitter, but he's all right."

Dawn's not impressed. "There's plenty of young trainers out there that aren't alcoholics or assholes," she says, frowning. "Why don't you just hang out with them?"

That's a bit of a harder question. I absentmindedly continue patting Amparos's head until she gives me a warning shock. Time to put my hands in my pockets.

"I've never really had too many friends," I say. "For a while, Kris was all I needed. Then she started getting more busy with research and boys and setting me up with someone. Plus I was farther away from home than I had ever been. Then Ruby and I kind of ran into each other. Even back then, he was pretty wild, so nobody really wanted to have anything to do with him. I guess we kind of filled gaps, you know."

Dawn nods. "Yeah, only someone as sweet as you could handle Ruby." I blush.

"But that doesn't mean I have to like him," she says, playfully folding her arms.

I laugh. "That's fair. So, are we going to battle or what? I didn't come here just to enjoy the ocean breeze."

"I was wondering what you were doing," she says, disentangling herself from Arcanine's fur. "Do you do this every morning?"

"Sure," I say with a smile. "But that doesn't answer my question."

With a gleam in her eye, she sends out Glaceon and Gardevior. "Of course."

Forgetting the case for the first time in weeks, I begin the battle.

* * *

"Anything you know will help, Daisy," Dawn says gently. Daisy's room is much nicer than mine, with lightly curtained windows and a sizable bed.

But there are more important things at stake right now. If anyone knows about potential clues in Blue and Leaf's personal life, it's Daisy.

Daisy, however, doesn't look ready for something like this. She's dressed as well as ever, but her face is pale and her eyes are a little distant.

"Blue… I… Leaf… They're…." Daisy sputters. She really is trying her best. I meant to let Dawn lead this one, but I don't think we're getting anywhere.

Time to try another angle. Blackburn used to call me in to receive all sorts of testimonies from more skittish witnesses. Maybe he thought I was empathetic or something. After a while, I discovered a trick to get even the most tense witness to relax: hypnosis.

"Here, Daisy," I say, producing a coin from my pocket. "This'll help you relax." Her eyes follow the coin as I twirl it gracefully around my fingers. After a moment, she slumps forward and closes her eyes.

"Where did you learn to do that, Ethan?" Dawn asks, mouth hanging open.

I shrug. "Used to practice on Kris for more skittish witnesses. Ruby would never let me try it on him, though."

Dawn smirks. "Why didn't you just use a Pokémon's Hypnosis?"

"We want her relaxed, not asleep." I motion toward Daisy. "Whenever you're ready, Dawn."

Dawn pushes her glasses up from the bridge of her nose and readies her pen. "Can you hear me, Daisy?"

"Yes…" Daisy says softly, eyes still closed.

"I need you to tell me anything about Blue and Leaf that would make someone want to kill them," Dawn says.

Daisy is silent for a moment. "There is one thing… About Red."

Now that's interesting. "Tell us about it, Daisy," I say.

"Red loved Leaf… Ever since they were kids," she says. Her voice is low and her words are slow. "But Red was too busy and distant… He was never around…"

Dawn scribbles furiously in her notebook. It makes sense if you ask me. "What else, Daisy?" Dawn asks.

Daisy continues. "Blue and Leaf fell in love… Then they got married while Red was away. Red never forgave them for it… Things got more complicated when Blue started cheating." Daisy scrunches her eyes like she's having a bad dream.

Dawn raises her eyebrows. Apparently she didn't know this. Honestly, I'm not surprised.

"But Blue loved Leaf… In his own way…" Daisy relaxes again. "When Red found out, he confronted Blue at the funeral… Then he left. I don't think he went back to Pallet after that."

Now that clears some things up. Except… "Do you think Red did it?" I ask.

A shadow crosses Daisy's face. "Yes," she says with finality.

I frown. Even his childhood friend doesn't have faith in him.

Still, it seems like we have what we need. "All right, Daisy. When I touch your forehead, you're going to go into a deep sleep and wake up relaxed and happy." I tap her forehead and she slumps over.

"What do you think, Ethan?" Dawn asks.

"You did well, Dawn," I say. "We have our answers."

She smiles briefly. "Thanks, but you did most of the work. I was talking about what Daisy said."

"Sounds believable to me," I say. "Doesn't really explain why he would want to kill the others, though."

Dawn nods, stowing her glasses in her purse. "Daisy sounded pretty convinced to me, and she knew them better than anyone."

"Remember, Dawn, the closest someone is to a case, the harder it is for them to see it."

She blinks. "Then why are we on this case?"

I smile grimly. "Because we're one of the few people in the world that still have their eyes open."


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Nintendo, not by me. Cover by topcat-sama and used with permission. View my profile for a link to the picture._

"Welcome home, Dawn," I say, struggling to navigate through the crowd with my luggage in tow.

"Thanks," she says with a quick smile. I offered to carry her luggage off the dock, but she politely refused. I notice, to my embarrassment, that she packed lighter than I did.

"Speaking of home," Dawn says, narrowly avoiding a child sprinting to catch up with their mother, "I was wondering if you would like to come to my house for Christmas."

I had almost forgotten about Christmas in all the confusion about the case. I suppose it's today. Usually I'd be home, spending the holidays with Kris and my mom. Guess I should call home when I get the chance.

She's grinning at me again, leaning up against a nearby wall as families shuffle past. "Well?"

I return the smile. "Of course, Dawn. It would be a pleasure." As I'm so far from my family, it really is kind for Dawn to ask me to stay for Christmas. Not to mention that the request is pretty intimate, too.

"Great," Dawn says as we ford a path through the crowd again. I don't know how she can keep looking at me without crashing. "Just a quick warning: my mom's a little… colorful."

I laugh. "Don't worry, all moms are." I think of my own mother and her obsession with perfection in my life.

"Then it's settled than, Christmas at my place," Dawn says as I hoist my luggage high above my head to avoid a flock of kids. She's not smiling anymore, but those lights dancing in her eyes give me an idea of how excited she is.

When we arrive at Dawn's house, snow is drifting from the night sky and I'm soaked through. The flight from Canalave City to Twinleaf Town was frigid, to say the least. But Dawn's hands are steady as she returns Pidgeot to its ball and she looks at ease.

"How-how are you n-not freezing?" I say, hugging myself for warmth. It doesn't help that I packed few clothes for this type of weather. My jacket is thick, but my gloves are thin and I lack any other practical insulation.

She stifles a laugh at my pathetic appearance. "I've lived in the coldest known region all my life, plus I've dressed a little more practically than you." Her pink jacket, boots, and earmuffs along with her white leggings and scarf look agonizingly warm.

My teeth audibly chatter, and this time, she does laugh. "Let's get you inside," she says, taking my arm.

Dawn's house is as quaint as I expected, white with pink trimmings and red Christmas lights shining from under the snow-covered roof. She lightly raps the knocker against the door. "Brace yourself," she says, but those lights are dancing in her eyes again.

Seconds later, the door is flung open by a woman who could only be Dawn's mother. Her hair is shorter and streaked with gray, her face is slightly lined, and her eyes are blue rather than Dawn's gray. However, she has aged remarkably well.

"Darling!" Mrs. Hikari says dramatically, opening her arms for her daughter. "Welcome home." Dawn, shooting me a worried smile, steps forward and is immediately engulfed in her mother's embrace.

After smothering Dawn for awhile, Mrs. Hikari seems to notice me for the first time and gives me a look that I'm not quite comfortable with. "And who is this?"

Dawn expertly slides out of her mother's grip. "This is my boss, Ethan. I told you about him the last time I wrote."

"Ah," Mrs. Hikari says, quickly covering the distance between her and me. She actually cups her hands on my face and seems to inspect my face. "I've heard a lot about you," she says quietly. I don't know how to react, so I stand stiffly and wait for it to be over.

Luckily, Dawn quickly pulls her off me. "Mom, cut it out, you're being weird."

"Whatever you say, dear," Mrs. Hikari says, nonchalantly running a hand through her hair and looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Have you two had something to eat?"

"Yes, we ate at a diner a few hours ago," Dawn says, stowing her scarf and gloves on a nearby coatrack. I was looking for any excuse to get out of the cold, so the second 5:00 struck, I suggested that we stop for food.

"A shame," Mrs. Hikari says, sadly shaking her head. "I cooked you quite the meal." As Mrs. Hikari turns to stow her apron in the kitchen, Dawn rolls her eyes at me while her mother isn't looking.

"Luckily I had the foresight to put some cookies in the oven," Mrs. Hikari says brightly as I stow my hat and gloves next to Dawn's gear. "While they cook, why don't we move to the living room?" With a flourish, she points the way.

Hoping that this initial awkwardness will pass, I choose the nearest couch and take a seat. Dawn quickly takes her seat next to me, but Mrs. Hikari slides onto my other side before I can react. It's fairly tight on the couch now.

Dawn's living room is cozy and lavishly decorated. The Christmas tree looks like something out of a postcard and a roaring fire lights the fireplace. I note that there are three stockings on the mantel. Naturally, Dawn and Mrs. Hikari have stockings of their own. The other bears no name, but it is embroidered with gold thread. I gulp.

Luckily, at that moment, my Pokégear rings. "Sorry, I have to take this," I say without checking the caller ID.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Hikari says, smiling broadly. "You're welcome to take it in the second room to your right down the hall."

I immediately follow her directions and answer the call just before I miss it. "Hello?"

"Ethan! Are you coming home?" A familiar voice says loudly into the phone.

I hold my Pokégear a little farther away from my ear. "I'm afraid not, mom. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner."

"No matter. Where are you? I've been trying to get in touch with you for days."

I cover the receiver and sigh. "I'm in Sinnoh, mom." She excitedly begins to speak, but I cut her off. "No, I'm not participating in the tournament."

"Why not?" She says, the disappointment in her voice clear. "Why else would you be there?"

"I'm working on a case. You know, the one in the papers." For the first time, I notice the room around me. Large bed, fluffy sheets, flowery wallpaper. Of course this is Mrs. Hikari's room.

"Yeah, yeah," Mom says impatiently. "All those killings from that crazy Pallet kid. You should let the police handle that, honey. In the meantime, it's not too late to register for the tournament."

She's not even concerned for my safety. It's just like her. "Mom, I have to go. Merry Christmas."

As she frantically tries to convince me to register, I hang up. _Might as well change while I'm here,_ I think, looking at my soaked clothes. _Then it's back into the fray, I suppose._

* * *

When I return to the living room, Dawn has changed into a festive red and green dress and both ladies are talking pleasantly. Hopefully Mrs. Hikari has calmed down from her initial excitement. When she sees me approaching and gives me a startling look, however, I gather that this is not the case.

"Dawn, dear, would you mind taking the cookies out of the oven? They should be just about finished."

Dawn's eyes flicker to mine, then back to her mother's. "Sure, Mom. I'll be right back."

As Dawn exits, Mrs. Hikari moves to the center of the sofa and pats a small spot next to her. She smiles at me in a way that I'm not comfortable with.

Time to make a decision. As Mrs. Hikari was kind enough to let me in her house for Christmas, I should probably be polite. More importantly, I want Mrs. Hikari to like me for Dawn's sake.

When I make up my mind, I carefully slide onto the sofa without making any contact with Dawn's mother. I'm pressing myself against the arm of the sofa, but there is less than an inch between my leg and Mrs. Hikari's.

"I'm very happy that you came for Christmas, Ethan," Mrs. Hikari says, looking me dead in the eye. "I wasn't expecting Dawn to be home this year after she left for Johto, let alone you. It's been ages since a young man's been home for Christmas."

From this angle, the differences between Mrs. Hikari and Dawn are much more apparent. Mrs. Hikari uses more makeup and her clothes are without even one wrinkle. That makeup must've took quite a while to apply and those perfectly smooth clothes had to be ironed perfectly. Naturally, age and childbirth has made her mother slightly heavier than her daughter as well. While another man may find Mrs. Hikari attractive, her differences from Dawn are faults in my eyes.

"Mrs. Hikari," I say slowly, as one would speak to a dangerous Pokémon, "Thank you for opening your home to me on Christmas."

"It's nothing," Mrs. Hikari says with a flourish. "Please, call me Johanna." I could swear that she just winked at me. "Now let's cut to the chase."

Mrs. Hikari shifts on the couch and I suppress a wince as she brushes her leg against mine. Now she's mostly on top of the couch, her head perched on her arms, looking down at me. I'm as uncomfortable as ever, but I refuse to break eye contact.

"What are your intentions concerning my daughter?" She whispers, her face inches from mine.

"Here are the cookies!" Dawn says loudly, appearing in front of me. She drops the plate onto my lap and the cookies bounce dangerously close to the edge of the plate.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs. Hikari says, who is now a comfortable distance from me somehow. "Now why don't you start another batch?"

Dawn looks distressed. "But-"

"Young lady," Mrs. Hikari snaps, suddenly stern. "I've told you, when you're under my roof you follow my rules. Now go make more cookies."

"But-"

"Dawn," Mrs. Hikari interrupts again. Her eyes flash.

"Yes ma'am," says Dawn, defeated. As she returns to the kitchen, I realize that I've never seen her give in to someone like that.

"Sorry about that," Mrs. Hikari says, and I jump as I notice that she has returned to her too-close position. A cookie slides onto my lap. "Same question, Ethan."

I take a bite from the cookie for an excuse to delay my answer. I still feel the same as before: enchanted with Dawn but unwilling to jeopardize our friendship and business relationship. "Johanna, I don't know," I say. I should make T-shirts with the phrase at this point.

"That's disappointing," Mrs. Hikari says with a look of concern. "You're quite the young man, I hear. We could use someone like you around here." Her voice trails to a sultry whisper and I stiffen as she runs a hand across my chest.

Miraculously, my Pokégear rings again and I dash into the kitchen, leaving the plate of cookies in my place and shoving the rest of the cookie into my mouth. "Hello?" I say, answering as quickly as possible.

"Gold? It's me… Ruby." Ruby's speech is slurred and he's somewhere quite loud. "Listen… listen, I need a ride."

I'd hate to leave Dawn, but I have to escape her mother. "Sure, buddy. Where are you?"

"Don't be too long," Ruby mutters. I hear him yelling something before he hangs up.

As I turn to leave, a frazzled Dawn blocks the doorway. Her hair's a mess and the front of her dress has some flour on it where the apron didn't cover. "Hey, what's up?" she asks breathlessly.

"Ruby's drunk somewhere. Know where I can find him?"

Dawn rolls her eyes. "What an idiot. On Christmas Day?"

"He's alone on Christmas. What do you expect?" I say, a little harsher than I mean to.

"OK, Ethan, I'm sorry." Dawn says more kindly. "The Bumbling Bidoof is your best bet."

"Thanks," I say, readying my hat. "Sorry I have to leave on Christmas."

"Oh, that reminds me," Dawn says, into the hall. After I pull on my gloves, she returns with a black and gold package. As she hands it to me, she clasps her hands in front of her excitedly.

I carefully open the expertly wrapped present. Inside is a hand-knitted scarf. It's black and gold with a little red here and there. I try to decide if I should say _thank you, you didn't have to_ , or _sorry I didn't get you anything_ , but instead, I remain silent.

"I had just enough time to knit it on the boat," she says, failing to contain her excitement as she gently wraps the scarf around my neck. "What do you think?"

Without thinking, I wordlessly bend down and kiss Dawn on the cheek. "Merry Christmas."

Without giving Dawn a chance to react, I turn from her shocked face and exit into the snow.


	16. Chapter 16

The Bumbling Bidoof is nicer than you'd expect a bar to be on damn Christmas. It's clean, well-lit (but not _too_ well lit) and, judging from the stock behind the bar, carries a decent amount of good drinks. I'd consider taking a seat at the bar and getting a closer look, but I'm distracted by the row that Ruby's causing.

"You're… you're just gonna talk shit, you asshole!" Ruby spits drunkenly, swaying on his feet, bottle in hand. He's in the face of some confused-looking middle aged guy, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Hey, fella, I'm just saying I recognize you!" The guy looks bewildered, defensively hanging onto the bar as Ruby roughly tugs him around his barstool. His buddy next to him just looks amused.

"Yeah, whatever! You're just like anyone else… Longest career losing streak, my ass!" Ruby's voice gets louder with each word.

"Hey man, it's Christmas," the bartender says. "Take it easy."

"Yeah, Ruby," I say, approaching the scene. "Let's get you out of here."

The second the words are out of my mouth, Ruby turns to the guy sitting next to him and slams his fist into his jaw. The guy naturally slides off his stool, but his once-amused buddy leaps to his feet. Ruby goes for a predictable right hook, but the stranger blocks and answers Ruby with an uppercut of his own. Ruby sails backwards, banging his head on the corner of the table behind him.

By the time I dash towards Ruby, he's on his feet somehow, chin bruised, head bleeding. Before he can go in for another attack, I grab his arms, pinning them around his back.

"Ruby, calm down," I say sharply into his ear.

"Leggo," he growls, managing to break out of my grip. He goes for a hasty kick, but I grab his foot and twist it, sending Ruby spinning onto the floor. He hit his head yet again and got the wind knocked out of him pretty hard, so I'd be surprised if he gets up again.

"Do you know this guy?" the bartender asks, baseball bat held at the ready. The bartender's an older guy with a distinguished look to him that his tattoos running up his arms add to. He probably owns the place. Must care about it an awful lot to be here on Christmas.

"Yeah," I say as I yank Ruby to his feet, locking his arms behind him again. "You could say that."

The stranger helps his friend to his feet. The guy's jaw is bruised, but luckily not broken. "Are you guys going to press charges?" I ask, and Ruby struggles feebly. "I wouldn't blame you." Ruby's somehow managed to stay out of jail so far, but it's only a matter of time if he keeps this up. The press would have a field day.

"It's not worth it," the bruised guy says. The bartender hands him some ice and he gingerly holds it to his face, wincing. "It's Christmas, and I've been in worse fights before. Plus, Charlie here got to relive his glory days." He jabs a finger at his buddy who chuckles, massaging his knuckles.

I nod. "All right. Sorry about the commotion," I say to the bartender.

He returns the nod. "Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't come back." He stows his baseball bat behind the bar. "Things could've got a lot worse if you weren't here. He's lucky to have a friend like you."

I bite my tongue as I begin to lead Ruby out of the bar. He owes me big this time.

* * *

As soon as we left the bar, I asked Ruby where he was staying. When he couldn't remember, I fished through his pockets until I found his room key and began to march him to the inn. For a drunk Ruby, he was oddly sullen and quiet on the way. After I dragged Ruby to his room, I shut the door and left him be. He might not even make it to bed, but tucking him in was one step too far.

Anyways, it's 2:13 in the morning by the time I make it back to Dawn's house. It's finally stopped snowing by now, but thanks to Ruby, my clothes are soaked through with cold water a second time. After hanging up my hat and scarf, I move into the living room where I assume I will be sleeping for the night. To my surprise, Dawn is waiting for me.

"Hey," she says simply. In the light of a single lamp, I see that she's still wearing her festive dress. She apparently washed the flour out of her hair as it's still a bit damp.

"Hey," I say, sitting next to her on the couch. "You didn't have to wait up for me, you know."

"Seemed the least I could do for someone helping out their drunk friend on Christmas." She shrugs. "You did find him, right?"

After I fill her in on the events of the evening, Dawn solemnly shakes her head. "I should've invited Ruby over for Christmas, too. He may be an a-hole, but nobody should have to be alone for Christmas."

"I should've thought to make sure he had company this Christmas myself," I say, wrapped in the blanket that Dawn set out for me. When Ruby was a teenager, his dad was killed in a tragic training accident. Just last year his mom died in a long battle with cancer. Ruby has always acted like he doesn't need anyone else, but the events of the evening remind me of how broken he really is.

"Anyways," Dawn says after a moment of silence, "Sorry about Mom's behavior."

I laugh. "It's a little awkward, but it could be worse."

Dawn scowls, and I hastily add "That's not what I meant. At least your mom doesn't hate me. She's not lurking around a corner somewhere, is she?" I jokingly look around the room.

Dawn smiles. "Mom went to bed not long after you left. Beauty sleep's her one weakness." Suddenly Dawn's serious. "So, I think we should talk about what happened before you left."

Christ. In all the confusion I forgot about that small kiss on the cheek. I might as well be honest. "That was a little impulsive, I guess. I don't really know what to say."

Dawn blushes. "Me neither. But I think we need to talk this through before it interferes with the case."

"I agree," I say, straightening up a bit. I'm probably hard to take seriously in this purple blanket, but it's too warm to part with.

"Okay," Dawn says slowly. "You're sweet and your kiss was flattering, but we shouldn't let emotions get in the way of our work, especially concerning this case."

Before I answer, I study Dawn's face and her body language as I would study a suspect's. She's reluctant to look me in the eye, mostly focusing on my forehead. She's hugging herself, which is a defensive posture, but the cold room might add to that. Her voice is decidedly even and her face is remarkably unreadable. However, there's still a bit of blush to her cheeks. It's not a certainty, but maybe her feelings toward me extend past professionalism and friendship?

I shouldn't get too carried away. I need Dawn as an assistant more than I need her as… Something more.

"You're right," I say. "This is probably the most important case of my career and we need to stay focused. Partners?" I extend my hand.

Dawn meets my gaze and smiles. "Partners. And friends." She takes my hand and shakes it. I can't help but feel a quick pang of disappointment. Forcing a smile, I push the feeling to the back of my mind.

* * *

"Is that really how you feel?" Kris asks. We're at her mom's place, eating lunch together as we often did when I visited home.

I take a bite of a sandwich cut into triangles. "Not really," I say. "But this is bigger than me. We can't just run off and leave the rest of us to be slaughtered."

"How noble of you," Kris says, taking a quick look at her research notes as she sips her tea. I can't tell if she's being sarcastic or not. "Don't you think that it's a bit strange that you and Dawn haven't been targeted?"

"It's crossed my mind," I say. "This case has always been personal for the killer. Maybe he thinks we still have a part to play in all this. It's almost as if he's letting us carry on the investigation. Like he wants to make us watch." I shove the rest of the sandwich into my mouth.

Kris shakes her head at me disapprovingly. "An interesting theory. I guess you're invincible, huh?"

I chew for a moment before swallowing. "I never said that. I'm having Gengar guard me right now, you know. Dawn's house isn't exactly a fortress."

I go for the second half of the sandwich, but I freeze halfway through. "Why did the killer target you first anyway?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just a dead girl." Kris laughs bitterly. "You know, there's someone out there who knows better than I do."

Kris dissolves before my eyes, melting like hot wax, and Red sits in her place. Startled, I abruptly jump to my feet, sending my chair crashing to the ground.

"Merry Christmas, eh?" Red says, but his voice doesn't quite sound like his own. In fact, his features aren't quite right either: his eyes are too shiny and his teeth are too white.

He takes the half of the sandwich I dropped and takes a bite. "Seems like things are going well for you. A little too well."

I try to speak, but my voice doesn't seem to work. Smiling, Red continues in his not-quite-right voice. "Dawn may seem perfect, but underneath, she's just as broken as everyone else. You'll see."

Red cocks his head and his pupils dilate alarmingly. "Let's get back to reality, shall we?"

The world dissolves in a sea of roses.

* * *

The next morning, Mrs. Hikari serves us breakfast. I'm exhausted from a long night of Ruby hunting and nightmares, but the breakfast is admittedly delicious. Dawn looks like she's feeling it a bit too; her eyes are bleary and her hair's just a touch disheveled. Mrs. Hikari, however, looks just as pristine as she did yesterday.

"The opening ceremony for the tournament begins today," Mrs. Hikari says, somehow smiling and sipping coffee at the same time. "Are you two attending?"

I look to Dawn for her opinion, but she's hovering over her pancakes half asleep. "That would be a good idea," I say, taking a bite of bacon. "For all we know, Red may show up and we could arrest him before the tournament even starts." Somehow I get the feeling that it won't be that easy.

There's a knock on the door. "Strange to have visitors today, between Boxing Day and the tournament," Mrs. Hikari says, her smile dwindling a bit as she gracefully eases out of her seat.

Moments later, Mrs. Hikari returns to the kitchen with a startled look on her face. "It's for you two," she says in a hushed voice. "It's the police."

Dawn and I look at each other, now fully awake, before moving to the door. None other than Cynthia greets us, wearing an expensive suit and holding a badge. Two serious looking men stand just behind her.

"INTERPOL," she says in a grave voice. "Ethan Hart and Dawn Hikari, I have come to take you two in for questioning."

We exchange alarmed glances. "What for?" Dawn asks.

"You two are suspected of killing several prominent trainers, including Rosa," Cynthia says crisply. "She was murdered this morning."


	17. Chapter 17

"Let's hear it again, Hart," Cynthia says, taking a sip of her coffee.

I rub the bridge of my nose. After Dawn and I were separated into two cars, we were taken to the police station in Jubilife City. Cynthia faces me, leaning against the wall of the interrogation room with a stony expression.

All in all, I've told Cynthia about the events of the case from Kris's death to the happenings of last night at least five times. "We're just going around in circles at this point, Cynthia," I say. "I'm not saying anything else until l you give me some answers." After all, I've been plenty cooperative.

She stares at me for a moment before putting her mug on the table in front of me. "Fine," she says. "We've been watching you ever since Kris's death. It is unusual in itself that you've been on the scene of every murder, except Rosa's. However, it is even stranger that these murders seem to follow you everywhere you go, don't you think?" Cynthia folds her arms, her expression unreadable.

She's got me there. It is certainly more than a coincidence that these murders seem to turn up everywhere I go. The killer has to be someone with eyes everywhere and a cool intellect to choreograph everything so smoothly. It is quite possible that I am being framed. Saying such would make me sound even guiltier than I already do, so I'm careful not to break eye contact with Cynthia as I remain silent.

After a considerably long staring contest, Cynthia speaks. "That private investigator thing is an ingenious touch. Earns people's trust and plays on your relationships with cops and the other trainers. Couldn't have planned it better myself, really."

I shrug. "What about Red? From what I've gathered, all the evidence points to him at this point."

"Interesting point," Cynthia says, tilting her head thoughtfully. "You and all those other Pokédex holders think he's some kind of hero. Maybe you're just doing these killings in his honor. Regardless, it's awfully convenient that you're the one who pointed the finger at Red in the first place." This is ridiculous. Unfortunately, saying so would do little to help my case.

Cynthia slides my case file off the table and leafs through it. "Also, judging from your personality profile, you're a pretty cynical guy. You probably share Red's distaste for Dex holders." Red's hatred of the new way of battling is quite well known. He bashed the state of affairs in the competitive world in several interviews before he disappeared off the map. Cynthia's observation is sound in this instance, at least.

"What about those Charizard tracks at Blue and Leaf's house?" I ask. "It would've been impossible for me to fabricate those tracks before the house went up."

"Difficult," Cynthia says, "But not impossible. There's no telling how long the two were dead before the fire started." Cynthia takes another look at the case file. "Judging from his report, the fire chief wasn't exactly thorough, so it wouldn't have been too challenging to make those tracks when he wasn't looking."

Shit. She's done her homework. "That's a bit of a stretch, Cynthia." But much less of a stretch than I'd care to admit. "Red has much more motivation than I do and it's much easier to make Charizard tracks with a Charizard. Why am I even here? And, better yet, why is Dawn here?"

Cynthia smiles grimly. "First of all, I believe that someone who seems to have murders following him everywhere is much more suspicious than someone who hasn't been seen in months. Secondly, for all I know, Miss Hikari could be an accomplice. If not, it'll be interesting to see how your stories match up."

If I had the resources that INTERPOL has and if I wasn't the suspect, I would do the same thing. Unfortunately, in this situation, Cynthia has all the power. "You're wasting your time, Cynthia," I say, trying another tactic. "You should be out looking for Red instead of wasting time with me and Dawn. We're on the same side here."

"Then you have nothing to lose from cooperating with me," Cynthia says. I shake my head, letting my breath rush through clenched teeth. If she wanted to cooperate, we could've compared notes in the comfort of Dawn's house or a Café, not in a police station.

"Again, you forget that I'm trying to test all possibilities," Cynthia says, folding her arms. "Maybe you and Red are in this thing together. Maybe you have a secret personality that does these killings and your mind has repressed it. You're an investigator, Gold, you should know this." Her voice takes a mocking tone.

"Sure," I say, more irritated than ever. "But I'm trying to solve this case as hard as you are. Anyone can figure that out. I could be out there right now trying to find the killer, but instead I'm here with you playing twenty questions."

"You're such an asshole, Hart," Cynthia says, eyes narrowing. "This is bigger than you. The bodies of VIPs have started stacking up, many of them with a lot of political pull, so this is one of most important cases on our plate right now. We've got our best agents on the case as we speak. What makes you any different?"

"Because I'm the one who's cracking the case." I say. Cynthia's finally given me an opening. "Almost every scrap of evidence in your case file is something that was first noticed by me or Dawn. The Pallet Roses, the analysis of Blue and Leaf's crime scene, all of it. "

"And I noticed your reactions when I told you about my discussions with Misty and Daisy," I continue, my voice rising. "Raised eyebrows, mouth slightly parted. You were surprised. I've got more information out of witnesses than you jokers ever have." I abruptly stand up and my chair clatters to the floor. "Now will you stop wasting my time and let me do my job?"

Fuming, Cynthia tosses the case file back on the table. "That's enough questions, Hart. Let's hear it again."

* * *

After hours of interrogation, Cynthia finally lets me leave. I've already missed half a day of investigations, so I'm anxious to head to the tournament as soon as possible and start asking questions. As I near the exit of the police station, however, Ruby rises from a nearby bench.

"Ruby?" I ask, abruptly coming to a halt. "Why aren't you at the opening ceremony?"

"The damn cops made me miss the thing, anyway, and I don't have any matches until later tonight." Ruby shrugs. "Dawn had some detective work to do, so I thought, what the hell, might as well wait for you."

I blink. This is an uncharacteristically thoughtful gesture on Ruby's part. "Er, thanks," I say, a bit at a loss for words. "What were they asking you about?"

Ruby shrugs again. He looks terrible. Must be the hangover. "The usual. Going over alibis, trying to dig up motives. They seemed to think that I'm bitter about losing tournaments or some shit like that. You?"

I fill him in on my side of the interrogation. To my surprise, when I'm finished Ruby barks with laughter. "You? A murderer? Tax dollars at work, I'm telling you. Those shitheads."

Ruby's loud laughter is starting to turn heads around the station and I do my best to quiet him down.

"Believe it or not, Ruby, I could actually be in trouble," I say in a hushed voice. "The police didn't have anything concrete to hold me in here, but they've got plenty of circumstantial evidence. Cynthia even asked me not to leave Sinnoh."

"Well, shit," Ruby says. He looks taken aback. After an awkward silence, he speaks again. "Listen, about last night… Thanks." Ruby halfheartedly claps me on the shoulder, eyes fixed on his feet.

"Don't mention it," I say, smiling.


End file.
